The Ghana Police Service has announced the deployment of security personnel to collation centres across the country.
This move comes after the High Court in Accra dismissed an application by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the Electoral Commission (EC) regarding the re-collation of results in five constituencies.
The court’s decision, delivered by Justice Joseph Owusu-Adu Agyeman, deemed the disputed results fraudulent and refused to endorse them. The EC had initially declared the NDC’s parliamentary candidates’ winners in these constituencies.
To ensure the smooth re-collation of results and maintain order at the collation centres, the Ghana Police Service has put in place robust security measures.
Addressing the press, ACP Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs for the Ghana Police Service and spokesperson for the election security task force, confirmed that joint police and military deployment will be implemented for the exercise.
She highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and security during this critical period, asserting that non-accredited persons will not be permitted at the centres.
ACP Ansah-Akrofi called on political actors to refrain from inciting their supporters to converge on the collation centres, as this could escalate tensions and undermine the integrity of the process.
“The Task Force assured the Electoral Commission of its readiness to provide the needed security for the outstanding collisions. In addition, the Commission reminded the Task Force that during the collation, only individuals accredited by the Commission should be allowed access to the collation centres. In this regard, there will be a joint police and military deployment for the exercise.
“We wish to caution the public that non-accredited persons will not be permitted at the centres. Also, the Task Force would like to urge the political parties to refrain from inciting their supporters to mass up at the coalition centres to disrupt the process.
“We wish to state that throughout the election period, including this post-election phase, the National Election Security Task Force has put Ghana first. We have put the peace and security of the country first, and we will continue to do so,” she stated.
