A violent disruption at the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Electoral Commission (EC) has interrupted the collation of parliamentary election results for Ablekuma North. Eyewitnesses reported that a group of over 40 individuals, believed to be affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), stormed the EC’s collation centre on Friday morning. They ordered officials and media personnel to vacate the premises and began damaging property, including louvre blades and doors.
The motive for the attack remains unclear, but it has raised concerns about the security of the election process and the integrity of the results in the constituency. No official statement has been issued by the authorities, and it is not yet known whether any arrests have been made.
The Ablekuma North collation process, which had been scheduled to resume on January 17, has already faced numerous delays and disputes. Tensions escalated on January 8, when Returning Officer Vincent Obeng resigned following disagreements over the authenticity of pink sheets, causing the process to be suspended for the sixth time.
Of the 281 polling stations in the constituency, results from 278 have been verified, but three remain contentious, with the NDC and New Patriotic Party (NPP) disputing the outcome. Obeng’s resignation has further complicated the situation, and the EC has expressed regret over the development, with discussions underway to determine the next steps.
The NDC’s Musah Kalamu has called for a rerun of results in 62 polling stations, although 59 have now been verified. Meanwhile, the NPP, led by Evans Nimako and parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Owusu Afriye, remains confident that the true results will prevail.
Ablekuma North remains the only constituency with unresolved disputes over the 2024 parliamentary elections. As the collation process resumes, both the NPP and NDC will be present at the centre, with the EC aiming to ensure a transparent and conclusive result. The race between NPP’s Nana Akua Owusu Afriye and NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn continues to be closely watched.
Source:TheDotNews