The Ablekuma-North constituency parliamentary election results remain undecided due to a stalled re-collation process, marked by persistent disagreements and chaos. Presiding Officer Vincent Obeng has declared his withdrawal from the exercise, citing frustration with the protracted impasse. The Electoral Commission (EC) has suspended the re-collation for the fifth time, leaving the outcome of the election hanging in the balance. The core issue revolves around the verification of results from three polling stations, crucial for the final declaration. The EC’s attempts to utilize scanned copies of result sheets for 62 polling stations, whose originals went missing, have further fueled the controversy. The situation has escalated tensions between the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with accusations and counter-accusations flying.
The re-collation process has been plagued by disputes over the validity of the statement of results sheets. The EC’s efforts to authenticate results by summoning presiding officers have yielded limited success, with only four out of seven outstanding polling station results verified in the latest attempt. Mr. Obeng’s resignation underscores the challenging circumstances surrounding the re-collation exercise. He expressed his exhaustion and urged the EC to appoint a new Returning Officer to complete the task, signaling the depth of the impasse. The EC, in response, has indicated intentions to engage with Mr. Obeng to reconsider his decision, emphasizing its neutrality in the contest.
The two main contenders for the Ablekuma-North parliamentary seat have taken opposing stances on the situation. Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, the NPP candidate, claims her independent collation indicates a lead of over 300 votes and has vowed to pursue the matter until a final resolution. Conversely, Musah Kalamu, the NDC Constituency Organiser, has rejected the results from the disputed 62 polling stations, demanding a rerun of the elections in those locations. He has expressed distrust in the scanned copies of the results presented by the NPP.
The missing original result sheets from 62 polling stations have become the central point of contention in the Ablekuma-North election dispute. The EC’s reliance on scanned copies provided by political parties has been met with resistance, particularly from the NDC, who question their authenticity and demand a fresh election in the affected polling stations. This impasse has created a significant hurdle in finalizing the constituency’s election results and highlights the challenges faced by the EC in ensuring a transparent and credible electoral process.
The EC’s challenge lies in balancing the need for a swift conclusion to the election process with ensuring the integrity and credibility of the results. The resignation of the Presiding Officer adds another layer of complexity to the situation, raising questions about the continuity of the re-collation exercise. The EC’s decision to engage Mr. Obeng to reconsider his resignation indicates its commitment to resolving the impasse and bringing the Ablekuma-North election to a conclusive end. However, the deep-seated disagreement between the two parties over the disputed results poses a significant obstacle to achieving a consensus.
The situation in Ablekuma-North underscores the importance of robust procedures for handling election materials and the need for clear guidelines on resolving disputes arising from missing or contested results. The ongoing impasse highlights the vulnerability of the electoral process to logistical challenges and the potential for such issues to escalate into political disputes. The EC’s handling of the situation will be closely scrutinized, as it sets a precedent for future election disputes and has implications for public trust in the electoral system. The outcome of this protracted process will determine not only the constituency’s parliamentary representation but also the perceived fairness and transparency of the electoral process in Ghana.
