The re-collation of parliamentary election results for the Ablekuma North Constituency was disrupted earlier today when tensions boiled over at the old Electoral Commission (EC) head office in Ridge, Greater Accra.
Supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) broke glass louvers and interrupted the proceedings, leading to yet another suspension of the process.
The collation process, which resumed at 8 a.m. after repeated delays, had been fraught with disagreements between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). These disputes stem from contested results at three polling stations out of the constituency’s 281 total polling stations.
The situation escalated after the EC’s Returning Officer, Vincent Obeng, resigned on January 8 amid mounting tensions over the authentication of pink sheets. Mr. Obeng had earlier reported that the collation was almost complete, with results from 278 polling stations verified. However, disagreements over the results from the remaining three polling stations have led to six suspensions of the process so far.
Today’s session was expected to bring an end to the impasse, with representatives of both the NPP’s Nana Akua Owusu Afriye and the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn present at the collation centre. However, heated arguments between party agents devolved into chaos as NDC supporters expressed dissatisfaction with the process. Witnesses reported that the crowd became uncontrollable, leading to the destruction of property, including glass louvres at the EC office.
The Ablekuma North parliamentary race remains one of the most closely contested in the Greater Accra Region, with results from the three contentious polling stations expected to determine the final outcome. The constituency’s voters now await further announcements from the EC on the resumption of the collation process.
