KEY POINTS
- The NDC rejects Ernest Yaw Kumi’s declaration as Akwatia MP-elect, citing discrepancies in election documents and irregularities.
- Electoral Commission relocated collation to Tesano for security reasons, prompting criticism from the NDC over delayed representation.
- Contested seats in Ghana’s Eastern Region may significantly impact parliamentary power balance as disputes remain unresolved.
Peter Boamah Otokunor, Deputy General Secretary of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress (NDC), has rejected the declaration of Ernest Yaw Kumi of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as MP-elect for the Akwatia constituency in the Eastern Region, citing irregularities in the collation process.
The Electoral Commission (EC) relocated the collation of contentious results from parts of the Eastern Region to the Police Training School in Tesano, Greater Accra, on December 12. The move aimed to curb disruptions that had marred other constituencies during the parliamentary vote count.
Legitimacy of collated results under fire
Following the re-collation at the Tesano facility, the EC’s returning officer announced Kumi as the winner. The declaration, according to JoyOnline, sparked sharp opposition from Otokunor, who alleged discrepancies in the figures on the official election documents, known locally as pink sheets.
“They don’t have the original pink sheets. What they have are mere photocopies,” Otokunor told Joy News’ James Avedzi, questioning the legitimacy of the documents presented by Kumi’s campaign team. He further alleged inconsistencies between the NDC’s pink sheets and those submitted by the NPP.
Ghana’s political impasse deepens
Otokunor also criticized the EC for proceeding with the collation in the absence of the NDC’s representatives, who were reportedly delayed. “I personally called Jean Mensa [Chairperson of the EC], urging her to pause the process and allow us two hours to arrive. She assured me of consulting the Commission but later informed me the results had already been declared,” he said.
The Akwatia controversy is one of three disputed constituencies in the Eastern Region, with the NDC optimistic about overturning the results in its favor. Parliamentary standings so far indicate the NPP has secured 77 seats, the NDC 185, and four seats going to independent candidates, while several others remain unresolved due to disputes.
As tensions simmer, the outcome of these contested seats could have significant implications for Ghana’s parliamentary balance of power.
