Ebi Bright Loses Tema Central Seat as EC Declares NPP’s Charles Forson the Winner

    Charles Forson, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, has been officially declared the Member of Parliament-elect for the Tema Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region. This announcement follows a controversial series of events regarding the constituency’s parliamentary election results.

Tema Central was among four constituencies in the Greater Accra Region where the Electoral Commission (EC) initially nullified the election results. Initially, the EC officials at the constituency’s collation center declared Ebi Bright, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, as the winner of the parliamentary election. However, the process faced complications and was soon called into question by the EC.

Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, explained in a press briefing that the declaration of Ebi Bright as the winner could not stand due to serious issues surrounding the collation process. She revealed that the Returning Officer for Tema Central had been coerced into announcing the results prematurely, under duress. According to Mensa, the DEO (District Electoral Officer) had been threatened and pressured to declare the election results based on 146 polling stations instead of the full 148 polling stations that should have been considered in the final tally.

Jean Mensa stated that the electoral official was not able to carry out the process in an unbiased and free manner due to the pressure and threats from individuals, which led to the results being declared inaccurately. This interference led the EC to nullify the declaration and order a re-collation of the results to ensure the integrity of the electoral process was maintained. The commission emphasized that it could not uphold the initial declaration as it did not reflect a complete and fair counting of votes from all polling stations.

On December 19, 2024, during a press conference, Jean Mensa further clarified that the re-collation process had been carried out in accordance with the EC’s procedures and legal requirements. After careful review and the completion of the necessary steps, the commission declared Charles Forson of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the winner of the parliamentary seat for Tema Central.

The decision to nullify the initial result and announce Forson as the winner has sparked discussions across political circles, with concerns raised about the transparency and security of the election process. Despite the tensions surrounding the issue, the EC’s ruling affirmed the importance of ensuring that election results are determined fairly and without external influence. In this case, the intervention of the EC has been seen as necessary to restore confidence in the electoral process.

Charles Forson’s victory marks a significant moment for the NPP in the region, as the Tema Central constituency has historically been competitive, with both major parties vying for control. Forson’s success comes after the legal and procedural challenges surrounding the initial declaration, which had created uncertainty and tension in the constituency. His victory is now confirmed, and he is set to represent Tema Central in the Parliament of Ghana.

The situation in Tema Central has also highlighted the broader issue of election security and the potential for external interference in the electoral process. The EC’s decision to re-collate the results and declare Forson the winner underscores the commission’s commitment to ensuring that the will of the voters is accurately reflected and that elections are conducted without coercion or manipulation.

After a contentious and challenging process, Charles Forson has been officially declared the Member of Parliament-elect for Tema Central. The re-collation of results by the EC, following the initial controversy, has ensured that the electoral process in the constituency is concluded fairly. Forson’s win is a significant one for the NPP, and it underscores the importance of maintaining the integrity of the electoral system.