Thugs Disrupt Ablekuma North Parliamentary Election Results Collation

The collation of parliamentary election results for the Ablekuma North Constituency was set to continue today at 8am at the old head office of the Electoral Commission (EC) in Ridge, Greater Accra.

The collation process, which has been marred by disagreements and delays, faced its most recent setback on January 8 when the Returning Officer, Vincent Obeng, resigned amid disputes over the authentication of pink sheets.

Update
However, suspected thugs have ransacked the collation centre at the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Electoral Commission. While members of the media awaited the commencement of the process, a group of individuals – some of whom were wearing colours of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – stormed the venue, ordered everyone to leave, and vandalised property, including louvre blades and doors.

Controversy and Resignation
The Ablekuma North Constituency, which has a total of 281 polling stations, has verified results from 278 of them. The remaining three polling stations remain a point of contention between the contesting parties—the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Obeng expressed frustration over the drawn-out process, stating, “It’s so unfortunate for me to make this statement that I’m done with Ablekuma North,” as he announced his resignation. His decision has added another layer of complexity to an already tense situation.

Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the EC’s Director of Training, confirmed the suspension of the collation exercise and described Mr Obeng’s resignation as “unfortunate.” He added that the EC would engage with the Returning Officer to determine whether he would reconsider his decision.

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The NDC’s Ablekuma North Constituency Organiser, Musah Kalamu objected to the use of scanned pink sheets for verification, calling for a rerun of results in the 62 polling stations where discrepancies had been alleged. Of these, 59 have since been verified, leaving three outstanding.

On the other hand, the NPP, represented by its Director of Research and Elections, Evans Nimako, and its parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriye, remains confident that the truth will prevail.

The Ablekuma North Constituency is the only constituency still embroiled in dispute over parliamentary election results from the 2024 elections.

What to Expect Today
Today’s resumption of the collation process is expected to bring clarity to the contested results. Both parties will be present at the collation centre, with the EC striving to ensure a transparent and conclusive process.

The contest for the parliamentary seat remains between the NPP’s Nana Akua Owusu Afriye and the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn, with tensions running high as the constituency awaits the final verdict.

Source: Graphic