There has been tensions among the NPP and NDC supporters after the supreme court has quashed the High court decision over the disputed parliamentary seats in the just ended 2024 general elections.
The Director of Elections and Research for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Evans Nimako expressed his thoughts on the legal processes involved, which emphasized balancing judicial oversight with the Electoral Commission’s (EC) constitutional role. Speaking on the controversy surrounding the High Court’s initial ruling, he remarked;
“It doesn’t say that anyone of the party should take the law into their own hands. It doesn’t say that. But you hear NDC saying they will not agree, and that must be the case. And I think it’s funny.’’
“You just have to do an arithmetic or addition of the figure on the Form 1C, and you realize that what the NDC [claim] is not even the case. The EC returning officer would just have to put together results for polling stations. Simple summation, NDC disagreed.”
Mr. Evans Nimako Director of Elections and Research , New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Meanwhile, many Ghanaians are beginning to get worried over the situation. It is 24 days after the elections, yet the Parliamentary seat controversy seems not to be ending any moment soon. Some are calling for a solution to ensure that the country can move forward from the disputes of the 2024 elections.
Mr. Nimako pointed out that the opposition’s strategies often deflect attention from key issues. Addressing NPP’s strategy, he stated;
”It didn’t take the NPP too much of a difficulty to say that, in the presidential elections, Mr. Mahama has got more votes to constitute government. So, we would wait for the EC to gazette the Parliamentary results and you would see from the NPP – we would not sit and allow the NDC to use that strategy to distort [the results].’’
Mr. Evans Nimako Director of Elections and Research , New Patriotic Party (NPP)
He added that the NPP is ready to use the law to petition, should any actions compromise the process.
Mr. Nimako’s remarks reflected the NPP’s stance on the importance of adherence to established laws while maintaining vigilance against alleged manipulations by the opposition.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), voiced a contrasting view. He criticized the Electoral Commission, accusing it of being partisan. He lamented;
“The EC must sit up and respect the very CI they brought in. They must respect it. They shouldn’t [succumb] to the whims and caprices of the NPP.”
Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer Deputy Director of Elections and IT , National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Dr. Tanko-Computer decried the EC’s delay in declaring results for the NDC, questioning its motives; ‘’why are they finding it difficult to declare Dome- Kwabenya for NDC.’’
He lamented the negative impact of the EC’s actions on the nation. He vehemently stated;
“We don’t have to go through this kind of hell the country is going through. Why is the EC putting the whole country into suspense like this?”
Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer Deputy Director of Elections and IT , National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Supreme Court Ruling and Speaker’s Position
Moreover, on the matter of NDC MPs whose results remain under contention, the speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin expressed his disapproval for such MP’s to be sworn into Parliament. Dr. Tanko-Computer agreed with the Speaker’s position, asserting the legality of the process. He reiterated;
“I agree with him [speaker]. Why should they be sworn in? That was illegal. I’m happy the Supreme Court quashed it.”
Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer Deputy Director of Elections and IT , National Democratic Congress (NDC)
He criticized attempts to manipulate election outcomes, alleging that declarations have not been done properly. Dr. Tanko-Computer elaborated;
“You don’t do re-collations and re-declarations. We don’t have it in our laws, when we do declarations, and you are not satisfied, you go with an appeal to the High Court, then argue your case. The high court judge would then look at the evidence before them and say that the declarations were not properly done [thus] set it aside.
But the EC is now creating a new avenue where, when a declaration is made and I am not happy, and I know I can find favor with the commissioners, I would run to them and tell them that the declaration was done under duress. So set it aside. Let’s do another declaration so that they will bring some faithful NPP guys to come and do declarations for them.”
Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer Deputy Director of Elections and IT , National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Dr. Tanko-Computer’s reflections highlighted the NDC’s dissatisfaction with the EC’s conduct and its commitment to ensuring fairness and transparency in the electoral process.
The perspectives of Mr. Evans Nimako and Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer reveal a sharp differences in how the NPP and NDC view the ongoing electoral disputes and the EC’s role.
While Mr. Nimako emphasizes adherence to laws and vigilance against alleged opposition strategies, Dr. Tanko-Computer criticizes the EC for failing to uphold its constitutional obligations.
Both parties agree on the importance of resolution to bring finality to the issues stemming from the 2024 elections, but their approaches to achieving this reflect their broader political strategies and ideologies.
As the nation waits for clarity on these unresolved constituencies, these debates underscore the challenges of navigating complex electoral processes in a politically charged environment.
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