High Court Orders EC to Complete Collation of Techiman South Election Results by January 6

In a landmark ruling, Ghana’s High Court has directed the Electoral Commission (EC) to finalize and declare the results from 147 outstanding polling stations in the Techiman South constituency by January 6, 2025.

This order follows concerns about the incomplete collation of votes, which could potentially alter the outcome of the parliamentary race.

The Techiman South constituency, which has a total of 282 polling stations, saw the EC initially collate results from only 135 polling stations. Based on these partial results, Adjei-Mensah Korsah of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was declared the winner. However, the court’s investigation revealed that the results from 147 polling stations were excluded from the initial tally, leaving a significant gap in the electoral process.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), represented by Chris Beyere, the opposition candidate, raised concerns over this incomplete process. Beyere was recorded with 17,874 votes from the 135 collated polling stations, while Adjei-Mensah Korsah was credited with 25,933 votes. The NDC argued that the failure of the EC to account for all polling stations violated electoral laws and undermined the integrity of the election.

The court, in its findings, concluded that the premature declaration of results, without collating all polling stations, was a breach of the law. A formal demand for a complete collation was submitted to the EC on December 13, 2024, but the commission failed to act on it, prompting the court’s intervention.

Adding to the controversy, the court was informed that the returning officer in charge of declaring the results had been coerced into lifting the hand of Adjei-Mensah Korsah during the declaration process, raising further doubts about the legitimacy of the initial result.

The court has now ordered that the remaining 147 polling stations’ results be collated and declared by the returning officer before January 6, 2025, to ensure the proper completion of the electoral process. The ruling has significant implications for both the NPP and the NDC, as the final tally from the outstanding stations could potentially affect the overall outcome.

This decision underscores the critical role of procedural integrity in Ghana’s electoral system, with the court emphasizing the need for transparency and adherence to legal requirements in the election process. The EC is now under pressure to ensure a fair and complete collation, with the political landscape of Techiman South hanging in the balance.