NPP Alleges NDC Thugs Disrupt Election Collation Process in Techiman South

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Techiman South Constituency of the Bono East Region has accused supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of launching a violent attack on Electoral Commission (EC) officials and party executives at the collation center following the 2024 general elections.

According to the NPP, after realizing they had lost the parliamentary race in the area, NDC supporters resorted to physical assault and destruction of materials in an effort to halt the election process. Martin Adjei Mensah-Korsah, the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, described the election process as largely peaceful throughout the day on December 7, 2024. He said that by 8:00 p.m., his party had secured 279 pink sheets from the 282 polling stations for both the parliamentary and presidential results, and by 1:00 a.m. on December 8, their internal tally showed that he had won with 3,173 votes, ahead of the NDC candidate.

However, the situation took a violent turn when NPP executives, including Constituency Chairman Muniru Tanko and Elections and Research Officer George Boapong, were asked by party agents to bring the pink sheets to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Techiman for collation with EC officials. As they arrived, the NPP team was reportedly assaulted by NDC supporters who seized and destroyed the pink sheets. The attackers also vandalized the vehicle the NPP team was using.

As the collation process continued at the police station, NDC supporters, realizing their party had lost the parliamentary seat, allegedly forced their way into the collation room, overpowering security personnel. They vandalized the remaining pink sheets and other EC materials, effectively bringing the process to a halt. EC officials were reportedly held hostage during the chaos.

In light of the disturbances, MP Martin Adjei Mensah-Korsah has called on the EC to provide an update on the next steps in the process and to address the disruption caused by the NDC supporters. He emphasized the need for clarity for his supporters and urged the EC to take action following the violent incidents.