More than six months after the December 2024 general elections, the parliamentary results for the Ablekuma North constituency remain outstanding, a situation the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana says it’s “anxious” to resolve.
Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Commissioner of the EC, appeared before Parliament to provide a detailed account of the commission’s persistent efforts and the myriad challenges it has faced in completing the collation, affirming the EC’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the constituency finally has its due representation.
Dr. Asare emphasized that the EC is “not relenting and we are not resting on our laurels,” actively engaging with security agencies to secure the necessary protection to finalize the collation.
“It must be noted that the Accra High Court on 4th January 2025 ruled that the Electoral Commission should go and complete the collation of the results for Tema Central, Ablekuma North, Okaikwei Central, and Techiman South constituencies. We have completed all the constituencies except Ablekuma North.”
Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Commissioner of the EC
The Deputy Commissioner provided a detailed and chronological account of the EC’s efforts to complete the Ablekuma North parliamentary results since the December 7, 2024, elections.
According to him, on December 9, 2024, 15 polling station results were added to the already collated figures, with all 15 polling station results and their corresponding pink sheets received from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), bringing the total to 29 collated polling station results.
Dr Bossman Asare further noted that the collation continued on December 21, 2024, when 25 additional polling station results were added. Notably, all 25 pink sheets were received from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), but these were carbon copies rather than scanned originals.
Despite the late arrival of the NDC collation agents, Dr Bossman Asare indicated that 10 of these carbon copies were authenticated by the returning officer, and the NDC agents were allowed to review them.
Subsequently, he posited that the remaining 15 carbon copies were authenticated by both NDC and NPP agents for that day, pushing the collated total to 244 polling station results. At this point, 37 polling station results remained outstanding.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, a significant development occurred on January 5, 2025, when 17 more polling station results were added. On this occasion, all 17 polling station results, in scanned copy format, were received from the NPP and confirmed by the NDC agents., stating that this brought the collated total to 261.
“It should be noted that the decision to accept the scan pieces from the parties was unanimously agreed upon by the commission and the political parties. This decision was reached as a result of both parties admitting that they no longer have carbon copies of the results in their custody.”
Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Commissioner of the EC
Furthermore, Dr Bosman Asare accounted that the collation progressed further on January 6, with 13 polling station results added, again received from the NPP. He noted that crucially, all 13 respective presiding officers were brought in to verify their signatures and the results on the scanned copies, confirming their authenticity.
According to him, this raised the total to 274 collated polling station results, adding that the need for presiding officers’ direct confirmation arose because NDC agents had refused to confirm these specific results.
Another four polling station results were added on January 8, 2025, received from the NPP and confirmed by their respective presiding officers, who signed their pink sheets.
Blessings from NPP and NDC
On all these occasions, Dr Bossman Asare noted that both NDC and NPP agents were present, witnessing the verification process, adding that this brought the total to 278 collated polling station results, leaving just three polling stations outstanding.
Dr Bossman Asare pointed out that since this last collation exercise, the EC has made multiple attempts to complete the process, primarily facing security impediments.
On January 15, 2025, he noted that the commission formally requested security from the Ghana Police Service and the National Election Security Task Force (NESTF) to complete the collation.
However, he noted a press release from the police on January 17, citing “inadequate security” based on their intelligence, and then advised putting the exercise on hold.
This security vacuum, he bemoaned, tragically led to party supporters invading the EC’s old office, destroying the commission’s properties, including furniture and doors.
“Again on the 6th January 2025, the commission wrote to the Ghana Police Service and the National Election Security Task Force requesting a meeting on the completion of the collation process.
“In response to our letter, the Ghana Police Service indicated that to ensure a peaceful and successful exercise, the Election Security Task Force has begun the consultative process for a convenient date and time for the meeting with all stakeholders associated with the exercise, scheduled to be held at the National Police Headquarters.”
Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Commissioner of the EC
EC’s Readiness
Dr Bossman Asare indicated that the EC reaffirmed its readiness to attend this proposed meeting in a letter dated February 4. Furthermore, on February 17, following the conclusion of outstanding Council of State elections, the EC again wrote to the police, stressing the urgent need to conclude the collation process, thereby requesting adequate security.
Dr Bossman Asare also noted that the EC engaged with political parties through Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings, stating that an IPAC meeting was held on February 26, 2025, followed by another specific meeting with the NPP and NDC on March 13.
During these discussions, Dr Bossamn Asare recounted that the NDC raised several issues, which they subsequently detailed in a letter to the commission. He indicated that the Commission responded comprehensively to all concerns in the letters dated March 17 and April 30, 2025.
Among the issues raised by the NDC were allegations of not being invited to participate in the collation process, denial of involvement in the collation of 25 scanned pink sheets on December 21, and concerns about the use of scanned pink sheets from the NPP during the January 5 collation.
Despite these ongoing dialogues, the security challenges persisted. Dr Bossman Asare indicated that on March 28, the EC once more wrote to the Ghana Police Service, reiterating the outstanding three polling station results and requested an urgent meeting to agree on a completion date.
At a scheduled meeting on April 10, Dr Bossman Asare posited that the EC was informed that the IGP was travelling to Bawku due to the conflict, delaying the briefing. On May 2, 2025, the EC renewed its request for a meeting, which was finally held on May 8.
According to him, during the said meeting, the collation process was scheduled to be completed on May 15 at the EC’s old headquarters; however, a new unforeseen hurdle emerged.
On May 13, just two days before the scheduled completion, the police informed the EC of a “pending case at the Supreme Court with respect to the Ablekuma North constituency,” stating that providing security would amount to contempt of court.
Dr Bossman Asare noted that the EC, in a letter to the police on May 15, swiftly countered this, informing them that “there was no injunction application pending or any process that prevents the electoral commission from going ahead to complete the process.”
Despite this clarification and a renewed request for protection and a meeting to agree on a new date, Dr Bossman Asare disclosed that the Ghana Police Service responded by stating the issue had been “referred to the office of the attorney general, a ministry of justice for legal advice” and that they would “hold on until the legal advice is received.” However, he lamented that to date, the police have indicated they have not received any advice.
Dr Bossman Asare pointed out that the EC has consistently held “productive meetings with the two political parties” regarding the completion of the collation, adding that in the last meeting on June 12, two differing perspectives emerged: one party advocated for the collation to continue, while the other proposed a rerun in the 37 polling stations.
Rerun Election
Addressing a supplementary question on Article 45(c) of the constitution, which mandates the EC to “conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda,” Dr. Asare affirmed the EC’s implied power to organize a rerun if necessary.
However, he clarified that for Ablekuma North, the EC possesses sufficient evidence of results and would only resort to a rerun as “the last option,” should they ultimately be unable to obtain conclusive results.
Dr. Asare firmly concluded that the collation process in Ablekuma North has been “very transparent, participatory, and accountable.”
He highlighted the constant presence of NPP and NDC agents, as well as the media, asserting that the evidence of what transpired on December 9 was captured by the media and this shows a transparent process devoid of bias and it was open.
According to him, both parties agreed to the use of scan sheets, and their agents approved of them.
Therefore, he implored Parliament for assistance in securing the “requisite protection” from the Ghana Police Service to finally complete this protracted collation exercise, underscoring the EC’s readiness and determination to fulfil its constitutional mandate and ensure the people of Ablekuma North are duly represented.
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