EC Announces NPP’s Patrick Boakye-Yiadom as Winner of Obuasi East Seat

Patrick Boakye-Yiadom, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate for the Obuasi East Constituency in the Ashanti Region, has been officially declared the winner of the parliamentary seat following a re-collation of the election results. Initially, Samuel Aboagye, the candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was declared the winner of the Obuasi East parliamentary election, but this declaration was later nullified by the Electoral Commission (EC). The EC ordered a re-collation of the election results due to discrepancies that required further scrutiny.

After the re-collation exercise, which took place at the EC’s Greater Accra Regional Office, the returning officer for the Obuasi East Constituency announced that NPP’s Patrick Boakye-Yiadom had won the seat with 18,558 votes. His opponent, Samuel Aboagye from the NDC, secured 18,549 votes, with Boakye-Yiadom winning by a narrow margin of nine votes. It is important to note that NDC agents were absent from the re-collation process, which raised concerns within the party regarding the fairness of the exercise.

The NDC, dissatisfied with the re-collation process, took legal action against the EC, challenging the decision to re-collate and re-declare the results in five constituencies, including Obuasi East. On December 16, 2024, the NDC filed a lawsuit seeking a judicial review in the form of declarations, certiorari, prohibition, and injunction orders. In their legal action, the NDC contended that the results from the December 7, 2024 elections, where their candidates had initially been declared winners in constituencies such as Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, and Obuasi East, should not be subject to re-collation or re-declaration.

The NDC argued that the EC had already made final declarations in these constituencies, and since the EC had fulfilled its duty, it could no longer alter the results. They further claimed that the EC had become functus officio, meaning that it had exhausted its authority over the declared results and was not permitted to re-collate, recount, or re-declare the election outcomes. Additionally, the NDC sought an injunction to prevent the EC from proceeding with the re-collation, re-counting, and re-declaration of the parliamentary results in these constituencies.

However, the High Court dismissed the NDC’s application, ruling in favor of the Electoral Commission. The court directed the EC to go ahead with the re-collation and re-declaration of the results in the five contested constituencies, including Obuasi East. This ruling upheld the EC’s decision to re-collate the results, despite the NDC’s objections.

The re-collation process and the subsequent legal dispute highlight the tensions and controversies that often arise in the aftermath of elections, particularly in closely contested constituencies. While the NDC challenged the EC’s decision, the court’s ruling confirmed the commission’s authority to ensure transparency and accuracy in the electoral process, especially in instances where there may have been issues with the initial result declarations.

Patrick Boakye-Yiadom’s victory in Obuasi East, after the re-collation of the results, means that the NPP now holds the parliamentary seat in this constituency. Despite the narrow margin of victory, the announcement solidifies Boakye-Yiadom’s position as the Member of Parliament-elect for Obuasi East. The NDC’s absence from the re-collation exercise and their subsequent legal challenge reflect the ongoing political contestation and scrutiny over the integrity of election results.

As the legal process unfolds, it is clear that the outcome of the Obuasi East seat, along with the other constituencies under dispute, will continue to be closely monitored by both political parties and the general public. The case also underscores the importance of maintaining transparency and ensuring that electoral processes are conducted fairly and accurately to preserve the integrity of democratic elections in Ghana.