Five NPP Parliamentary Candidates Call for Collation and Re-collation of Results, Claiming Victory

Five parliamentary candidates from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 elections have submitted formal petitions to the Electoral Commission (EC), demanding that the results from their respective constituencies be either collated or re-collated. These candidates insist that they are the rightful winners of their elections and are calling for corrective action due to alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

The petitions, which were submitted on Friday, December 13, 2024, were addressed to the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa. Two of the candidates—Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah of Techiman South and Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh of Ablekuma North—are requesting the EC to complete the collation of results, citing delays that have left the outcome of their constituencies unresolved. Meanwhile, the other three candidates—Charles Forson of Tema Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah of Okaikwei Central, and Mike Aaron Oquaye Jnr. of Dome-Kwabenya—are calling for the re-collation of results, arguing that the initial process was flawed and did not comply with electoral laws.

For Techiman South, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah is calling for the immediate collation of the results. Despite the polls closing almost a week ago, the results have not yet been finalized. Korsah, in his petition, requested that the EC Chairperson instruct the returning officer for Techiman South to collate and declare the results, stressing that the delay was causing unnecessary uncertainty. “I am making a demand on you as the chair of the commission to direct the returning officer of the Techiman South Constituency to collate and declare the winner of the parliamentary elections,” Korsah stated. He is seeking a swift resolution to ensure the rightful winner is declared.

Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh, the NPP candidate for Ablekuma North, has raised concerns about her election, claiming that after the polls closed on December 7, her representatives were attacked by some individuals. Additionally, she alleges that the statement of results sheets, or pink sheets, were forcibly taken by others. She further claims that the returning officer was under pressure to declare the results in favor of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate. Afriyieh insists that she won the election by a margin of 411 votes, providing evidence in the form of scanned copies of 281 pink sheets. “I have attached the scanned copies of all 281 pink sheets, which show that I won the election with a margin of 411 votes. The results are as follows: Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh (NPP) – 34,610 votes, and Awurabena Aubunn (NDC) – 34,199 votes,” she stated. In her petition, Afriyieh called for the EC to ensure that the returning officer collates and declares the results according to the legal framework.

Charles Forson, the NPP candidate for Tema Central, has also submitted a petition requesting that the election results be properly collated. Forson argues that the initial collation did not account for votes from two remaining polling stations. According to his calculations, including these votes would have made him the winner, with 18,870 votes, as opposed to the NDC candidate’s 18,815 votes. “The votes from the two remaining polling stations when added will give me 18,870 votes as against the NDC’s 18,815 votes,” Forson explained in his petition. He is urging the EC to ensure that the results are collated correctly and declared in accordance with the law.

Patrick Yaw Boamah, representing Okaikwei Central, has similarly called for a re-collation of the results. Boamah claims that 31 polling stations were excluded from the results when the returning officer declared them. He argues that the exclusion of these polling stations had a significant impact on the outcome of the election. “Based on the polling station results, pink sheets, and results as declared at the constituency collation center, I am the projected winner of the parliamentary election. The unlawful exclusion of the 31 polling stations at the regional collation center significantly impacted the outcome of the results,” Boamah said in his petition.

Mike Aaron Oquaye Jnr., the NPP candidate for Dome-Kwabenya, is also demanding a re-collation, claiming that the initial process was conducted in violation of electoral laws. He asserts that the collation that led to the declaration of Elikplim Akurugu of the NDC as the winner was done without his presence or that of his representatives, breaching the regulations set by the EC. “The collation was done in flagrant violation of the electoral laws of the country, as it was not done in my presence or that of my representatives,” Oquaye Jnr. argued. He is requesting that the EC conduct a proper collation of the results to ensure fairness and compliance with the law.

The five NPP candidates are calling for the EC to review the election results in their constituencies and ensure that the processes are conducted transparently and in line with the law. As the electoral process moves forward, their petitions highlight concerns over the integrity of the results and the need for accountability within the electoral system. Their calls for re-collation and proper collation reflect the importance of accurate and lawful procedures in determining the rightful winners of the parliamentary elections.