EC Official Reveals Coercion to Declare Ebi Bright Winner in Tema Central: Forced to Wear Police Uniform and Threatened with Death

Ofosuhene Asante Manasseh, the Tema Metropolitan electoral officer of the Electoral Commission (EC) during the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, has shared a detailed account of how he was coerced into declaring Ebi Bright, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, as the Member of Parliament-elect for Tema Central. His statement, made in a letter to EC chairperson Jean Mensa, reveals how inaccurate results were used in the final declaration, which he claims was made under duress and with his safety at risk.

According to Ofosuhene, the results that led to Ebi Bright’s declaration were not accurate. He explained that, during the process of collating the 148 polling station results, NDC agents flagged about 12 results, which were temporarily set aside for further review. Eventually, the majority of the flagged results were resolved, leaving only three polling stations in dispute. These were P.S. Code C231707, C231309B, and C231808. The NDC agents insisted that these results should be discarded, arguing that the presiding officers had not signed them, and demanded that their candidate, Ebi Bright, be declared the winner.

However, Ofosuhene and his team disagreed with the NDC’s demands, stating that the results were consistent with others and should be included in the final tally. They added the C231808 result but left the other two unresolved. This is when the situation began to escalate. NDC supporters, led by party members like Rockson Dafeamakpor, reportedly began threatening Ofosuhene and his staff. Despite the threats, Ofosuhene maintained that the proper procedures should be followed and insisted that if there were any issues, the NDC could seek redress through legal channels after the results were declared.

However, the atmosphere at the collation center became increasingly hostile. NDC supporters, incited by their party’s leadership, began to chant revolutionary songs and gathered in large numbers, demanding the results be declared in their favor. At this point, the situation turned violent. Basintale, an NDC national executive, allegedly accosted Ofosuhene, demanding that he declare their candidate the winner, even physically grabbing him. Fearing for his safety, Ofosuhene was escorted by the police to a secure room.

The escalating violence prompted the police to act quickly. NDC supporters surrounded the room, attempting to break in. In an attempt to protect Ofosuhene, the police disguised him in a police uniform to help him escape through a window. However, as more supporters gathered outside, the police had no choice but to return him to the safety of the inner room.

As tensions reached a breaking point, Chief Supt. Osman of the Ashaiman Divisional Police intervened, warning that the situation could soon spiral out of control. He informed Ofosuhene that more NDC supporters were on their way, and that the police might not be able to contain the crowd. Fearing for their lives, the police suggested that Ofosuhene declare the results immediately to avoid further escalation. Reluctantly, Ofosuhene agreed to proceed with the declaration, though he insisted that the results be declared without the two unresolved polling stations.

With the returning officer for Tema Central, Kwasi Brobbey, unavailable, Ofosuhene directed his colleague, the electoral officer for Tema West, to have the results declared. Despite the failure to complete the necessary forms and paperwork, including the Writ of Election, the results were announced. Ebi Bright was declared the winner with 18,539 votes, narrowly defeating Charles Forson of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who received 18,421 votes.

After the declaration, NDC supporters celebrated, and the immediate threat of violence subsided. However, Ofosuhene has since called for the annulment of the results, stating that the declaration was illegal. He emphasized that the declaration was not made by the authorized returning officer, and that the proper election documentation had not been completed. In his letter, Ofosuhene made it clear that the results were declared under duress, coercion, and threats of death, and he requested that the Electoral Commission nullify the declaration of Ebi Bright as the MP-elect for Tema Central.