Jean Mensa Assures Ghanaians That EC Will Respect the Will of the People, Calls for Patience

Jean Adukwei Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), has reassured Ghanaians that the EC is fully committed to reflecting the will of the people in the ongoing election process. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, December 8, amid growing tensions across the country due to increasing demands for the quick declaration of results from various collation centers, Mensa emphasized the EC’s unwavering commitment to ensuring transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in the election process.

During her address, Mensa expressed confidence in the integrity of the electoral system and reassured the public that the final results will reflect the true will of the people. She stated, “We assure all Ghanaians that the results we declare will be a true reflection of the will of the people, as expressed at the polls. The people’s choice for President of the Republic of Ghana will be announced.”

Mensa explained the EC’s detailed collation process, emphasizing the importance of transparency at each stage. She clarified that the results from polling stations, documented on the pink sheets, are the foundation for all subsequent declarations. These pink sheets are signed by party agents and other election stakeholders, ensuring the validity of the process.

“The collation process involves compiling the results from the pink sheets from polling stations, and at every step, party agents, observers, and the media are involved to ensure transparency,” Mensa explained. She further stressed that the EC’s role is not to count votes at the collation centers but to compile the results based on the pink sheets that have already been completed at the polling stations.

Mensa’s remarks underscored the transparency and fairness embedded in Ghana’s electoral system. “The EC has adhered to principles of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, making sure that the election process is fair and accepted by all stakeholders,” she said. This commitment, she argued, has been a key factor in ensuring a peaceful, credible, and inclusive election.

As the collation process continued, tensions were rising across the country, particularly among supporters of the political parties. Both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held separate press conferences urging their supporters to remain calm and allow the EC to complete its work. Mensa called on citizens to exercise patience as the results were being compiled. “It has been only 23 hours since the polls closed. In 2020, we broke our record by declaring results within 48 hours. We are confident that, within 72 hours, we will have the final presidential results,” she stated.

Despite her optimism, Mensa acknowledged some delays, especially at collation centers, where disruptions caused by political party supporters had hindered the process. “In some areas, supporters of political parties have blocked access to our offices, making it difficult for our staff to carry out their duties,” she revealed. However, Mensa stated that the EC had engaged with party leadership to encourage supporters to allow the process to continue without disruption. “We have spoken with party leadership to recall their supporters and allow the process to continue unhindered,” she added.

Mensa assured the public that the EC was working to speed up the process without compromising the accuracy of the results. “In cases where the results from certain constituencies are delayed but do not affect the overall outcome, we will proceed to declare the presidential results,” she said, emphasizing that this would prevent unnecessary delays in the declaration of the final results.

She reiterated the credibility of the election process, emphasizing that the steps taken from the polling stations to the national collation center are designed to ensure that the results reflect the true will of the people. “The evidence is clear. From polling stations to the national level, the process is designed to reflect the true will of the people. The Commission’s actions speak for themselves,” Mensa affirmed.

As Ghanaians continued to await the final results, Mensa ended her address with a call for national unity and confidence in the electoral system. “Let us all support the Commission during this critical time. The will of the people will prevail, and Ghana will emerge stronger from this process,” she concluded, urging the nation to remain calm and patient as the final results were being compiled and announced.