Ablekuma North: NPP to Shun EC’s 19 Polling Station Rerun, Says Court Mandated Only Collation

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has declared its intention to boycott a rerun of the Ablekuma North parliamentary election in 19 polling stations, challenging the Electoral Commission’s (EC) authority to organize a fresh vote. The party argues that the EC’s latest move directly conflicts with a ruling from the High Court delivered earlier this year.

The EC recently announced that the rerun would take place on Friday, July 11, 2025. The decision comes months after the collation process was disrupted during the December 2024 general elections, following incidents of violence and the destruction of some original election result forms—commonly known in Ghana as pink sheets. The incident sparked a legal dispute and widespread debate over the proper path to resolve the impasse.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong rejected the EC’s decision in strong terms. According to him, the January 4, 2025 High Court ruling did not call for a rerun but rather instructed the Commission to simply complete the collation of the already cast ballots and declare the winner.

“Nowhere in the ruling did the judge say a rerun should be conducted,” Frimpong stated. “The directive was clear—collate the outstanding results and announce the winner. This rerun is outside the bounds of the court’s decision.”

To reinforce the NPP’s position, Frimpong presented 281 scanned pink sheets, which he claimed were signed by both party agents and presiding officers. According to the NPP, the documents show that their parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, secured victory with a margin of 414 votes over her closest contender. The party maintains that the outcome was already clear before the collation process was halted and that a rerun is both unnecessary and unlawful.

Frimpong also accused the Electoral Commission of changing its narrative. He referenced previous testimony given by EC Deputy Commissioner Dr. Bossman Asare, who, under oath before Parliament, allegedly stated that only three polling stations had unresolved results. The party argues that expanding the scope to 19 polling stations is inconsistent and undermines the credibility of the Commission’s processes.

“We were told only three polling stations were outstanding. How did that suddenly become 19?” Frimpong asked. “This abrupt change lacks justification and shows disregard for the court’s instructions.”

In response, the EC defended its decision, citing consultations with both major political parties—the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). According to Deputy Chairman Samuel Tettey, although scanned results from the 19 polling stations were endorsed by both party agents, they had not been verified by the presiding officers at the time of the initial collation.

“Verification is a crucial step in validating polling station results,” Tettey noted. “Without presiding officer verification, the results lacked full legal legitimacy.”

He added that other disputed polling stations have since undergone verification and would not require further voting. The rerun is, therefore, limited to the 19 stations in question.

The dispute in Ablekuma North dates back to December 2024, when tensions flared during the collation process. Several result sheets were destroyed during chaotic scenes, halting the final declaration. The EC had initially attempted to use scanned and duplicate forms to complete the process, but the NDC objected, arguing that such methods lacked transparency and could compromise electoral integrity.

As preparations move ahead for the July 11 rerun, the EC has requested security support from the Ghana Police Service to ensure a peaceful and orderly voting process in the affected areas.

The final outcome of this rerun is expected to end months of political uncertainty in the Ablekuma North constituency and fill one of the remaining seats in Ghana’s 276-member Parliament.