The Tema Metropolitan Electoral Officer, Ofusehene Asante Manasseh, has claimed he was pressured by senior members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to declare Ebi Bright as the winner of the Tema Central constituency in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

In a letter addressed to Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa, Asante alleged that his life, as well as the lives of his staff, were threatened by NDC officials and their supporters, forcing him to declare the results in favour of the NDC candidate.

Asante named MP for South Dayi, Nelson Rockson Defeamekpor, and NDC Deputy Communications Officer Malik Basintale as key figures who pressured him during the collation process. He described a tense situation where, despite police protection, NDC supporters surrounded the collation centre and even confronted him at the police premises, demanding that the results be declared in Bright’s favour.

“I was forced to prioritise my safety over the legality of the process,” Asante wrote, adding that the collation of results was incomplete when the declaration was made. He claimed that two polling stations had not yet reported results, and had they been included, NPP candidate Charles Forson would have won by a margin of 55 votes.

Asante has called on the EC to nullify the declaration, arguing that it was made under duress and was not legally authorised, as the returning officer for the constituency, Kwasi Brobbey, was absent at the time.

In the official results, Ebi Bright received 18,539 votes, while Forson received 18,421.

The EC has confirmed receipt of Asante’s letter, and it remains to be seen how the commission will respond to the allegations.

Source:TheDotNews