Parliamentary results from so-called “NPP Safe Seats” declared by the Officials of the Electoral Commission (EC), appear aiding the defeated New Patriotic Party (NPP) in regaining parliamentary seats it lost to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the December 7, 2024, general elections.
These constituencies, previously considered, “safe seats” for the NPP, include Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, and Tema Central.After collation, the results were declared in favour of the NDC, but almost a week later, the EC, has declared the results from these constituencies invalid, citing non-compliance with electoral procedures.
This comes as reports suggest, stuffed ballot boxes and questionable pink sheets with different results from unknown polling stations in the custody of NPP constituency executives making their way to the collation centres.
In some instances, vigilant NDC elements, intercepted the illegal materials and destroyed them before they could get to the presiding officers and influence the outcome of the polls.
A Deputy EC Chairperson, Samuel Tettey, made this announcement during a press briefing in Accra on Friday, December 13, 2024, and explained that out of the 12 constituencies identified for re-collation of parliamentary results, three: Suhum, Akwatia, and Fanteakwa North, have been completed. Interestingly, these were declared in favour of the NPP.
Re-collation is yet to take place at Ahafo Ano South West, Ahafo Ano North, Obuasi East, and Techiman South, he said but did not mention the violence that erupted in the Damongo Constituency, following delays in the declaration of election results, culminating in the death of one person and the destruction of the EC office.
During the protests, frustrated youth, stormed the Damongo Municipal Collation Centre and set the EC office ablaze. The fire caused extensive damage to the building and its contents.
In the ensuing chaos, an NDC supporter, Sibannira Mukaila, was reportedly shot. He was rushed to St. Anne’s Catholic Hospital, but died shortly after receiving medical attention.
The Ghana Police Service, arrested 12 individuals believed to be involved in the violence, including the arson attack on the EC office.
Samuel Tettey stated, “It is important to note that the re-collation in the following constituencies, namely Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, and Tema Central, did not follow the laid-down processes as enshrined in CI 127, despite police presence at the collation centres to facilitate the re-collation.”
He further indicated that in these four constituencies, party supporters disrupted the collation processes, forcing EC staff to declare results in favour of their preferred candidates, thereby violating CI 127.
“The process of CI 127 was not followed, and EC officers were threatened to declare winners without adhering to the required procedures,” the Deputy EC boss, noted.
As a result, the EC has concluded that the collation and declarations in these constituencies, which did not adhere to the prescribed electoral processes, are illegal and cannot be upheld.
Dome Kwabenya Constituency in Accra, in particular, witnessed some interesting developments when ballot boxes from unknown sources were destroyed.
This was when counting showed that the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Mike Ocquaye, was losing the election during the collation of the results.
The Presiding officer at the collation centre, was reported to have declined the Pink Sheets in the custody of the NPP Constituency Secretary. It is not clear, who was faking the Pink Sheets to overturn the official results from the elections.
In Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency also in Accra, a man was arrested by the NDC supporters and handed over to the Police for bringing stuffed ballot boxes similar to those of the EC.
He could not say where the electoral items had come from and why they had arrived there late with only him carrying them.
Lydia Seyiram Alhassan on the ticket of the NPP, still lost the seat to NDC’s John Dumelo, but the man handed over to the police is yet to be prosecuted by the police.
Interestingly, while the elections were ongoing, the Ghana Police Service, uncovered over 500,000 presidential ballot papers hidden in a secluded location in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
Joseph Yamin, the National Organizer of the NDC, said intelligence about the discovery was first received on Friday, December 6, 2024, ahead of the elections in Kwadaso, also in the Ashanti Region.
Again, despite the viral videos of the discoveries in the house whose owners denied knowledge, the police in the Ashanti Region, are yet to mount any prosecution. It is not clear, if any proper investigation is ongoing on the matter.
At Tepa in the Ashanti Region, the delay in the declaration of results from the Ahafo Ano North constituency, where the results were not collated, has been tied to a chaotic incident that occurred in the area.
The report said that the unrest in the region was triggered by an alleged romantic relationship between two key stakeholders.
Brogya Genfi, the Deputy Director in charge of Special Duties for the NDC, claimed that the controversy in Tepa, within the Ahafo Ano North constituency, was primarily due to an amorous relationship between the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Nana Eric Agyemang Prempeh and a District EC official.
Genfi, made these claims, while presenting messages between the two, which were retrieved after the EC official fled the coalition centre, leaving her phone behind.
According to him, the chats indicate a close relationship between the two.
Brogya Genfi in an interview with Kofi TV said, “They say elections are won at polling stations, but we are not at a police station. Tepa is in turmoil today because of the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship between the EC officer and the NPP PC.”
He explained further: “In Tepa, where the coalition was supposed to take place, it wasn’t safe. So, my party (the NDC) wrote a letter requesting a change of venue. The police commander agreed to this. However, the EC officer sent a message to the NPP PC, advising him not to agree to the change, claiming that the NDC had strong police backing. The PC responded, saying it wouldn’t happen and that he would call people in Accra.”
Genfi continued: “Later, the EC officer sent another message saying that the situation at the coalition centre had intensified. The PC then said he was bringing in soldiers, and shortly after, soldiers arrived and began shooting.”
He also claimed that messages between the two go back as far as January. The alleged messages from the EC official’s phone, while she was at the coalition centre read: “Good afternoon. Nana, please, the situation is out of control.
PC: Soldiers are coming in now.
EC officer: Please, they should be fast. They have blocked the doors preventing POs (Presiding Officers) from entering.”
Brogya Genfi, also added that, at one point in their conversations, the Parliamentary Candidate (PC) even invited the EC officer to come and sleep at his hotel when he arrived in Tepa.
Other conversations between them read as follows: EC Officer: “Oh Nana, good evening. I heard you were coming to my office. I was waiting for you to help me get fuel for the minibus to transport the ballot papers and the BVDs from Kumasi to Tepa, but you just passed by. Tepa SHS minibus. Good night.”
PC: “Hahaha, I didn’t want the NDC people to say we were doing ‘kululu’ there in the evening. I don’t want trouble for you.”
EC Officer: “Oh, but I missed you ooo.”
PC: “Where are you now?”
EC Officer: “On my way to the police depot in Kumasi. The bus will be coming with the police officers and my men.”
Genfi added that the NDC Initially, wanted to ignore the situation and focus on other constituencies where the results had been declared, but now, the party has taken a position because of the chaos.
“The EC should call an IPAC meeting for the various leaders to sit down and discuss how to proceed,” he added.
He further stated, “Whenever we say the EC is doing the bidding of the NPP, people accuse us of lying. But now, God has exposed them. If the chaos hadn’t erupted, causing the EC official to flee and leave her phone behind, we wouldn’t have known about these messages.”
During the election, the police arrested several individuals in connection with election-related offences including shooting but none of them have been put on try.
More than 50 people are reportedly facing charges for alleged involvement in vote manipulation, including secretly transferring votes and directing voters to different polling stations in La Dadekotopon, Greater Accra Region.
Some of the suspects, have been detained at Burma Camp, while others have been transferred to the Cantonments Police Station for further investigation.
