The Accra High Court has issued a directive to the Electoral Commission (EC) to finalize the collation of results for four disputed constituencies by 6th January 2025. This decision adds a fresh twist to the post-election legal battle that has been ongoing.
The directive came after a mandamus application filed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates in Tema Central, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, and Techiman South. The court, presided over by Justice Forson Agyapong, granted the application on Saturday, January 4.
In his ruling, Justice Agyapong annulled the previously declared results for Tema Central, which had favored the NDC’s Ebi Bright. He stated that there was a need to include results from two outstanding polling stations before making a final declaration.
For Okaikwei Central, the court found that the EC had not completed collation from all 141 polling stations. Only 110 results were used to declare the NDC’s Baba Sadiq as the MP-elect.
Similarly, in Ablekuma North, the earlier declaration in favor of the NDC’s candidate was deemed incomplete as it was based on results from 219 out of 281 polling stations. The judge ordered the collation of the 62 outstanding polling stations.
In Techiman South, the court discovered that the previous result was declared using only 135 out of 282 polling stations, making it incomplete with 147 polling stations yet to be collated.
To ensure the peaceful completion of the collation process in all four constituencies, the High Court directed the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to deploy adequate armed security.
The ruling was met with jubilant celebrations among NPP supporters present in court. However, the lawyer for the NDC’s parliamentary candidate in Tema Central, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has vowed to resist the inclusion of results from the two outstanding polling stations in the constituency.
The legal battle surrounding these constituencies continues to unfold, with both parties adamant in their positions. As the deadline for finalizing the collation of results approaches, all eyes will be on the Electoral Commission and the courts to see how this situation will be resolved.
