The collation of parliamentary election results for the Ablekuma North Constituency is set to continue today at 8am at the old head office of the Electoral Commission (EC) in Ridge, Greater Accra.

The collation process, which has been marred by disagreements and delays, faced its most recent setback on January 8 when the Returning Officer, Vincent Obeng, resigned amid disputes over the authentication of pink sheets. 

Mr Obeng had earlier explained to journalists that the collation was nearly complete, with results from four out of the seven remaining polling stations finalised. However, disagreements over the authentication of the results from three polling stations led to the process being suspended for the sixth time.  

Controversy and resignation  

The Ablekuma North Constituency, which has a total of 281 polling stations, has verified results from 278 of them. The remaining three polling stations remain a point of contention between the contesting parties—the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).  

Mr Obeng expressed frustration over the drawn-out process, stating, "It's so unfortunate for me to make this statement that I'm done with Ablekuma North," as he announced his resignation. His decision has added another layer of complexity to an already tense situation.  

Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the EC's Director of Training, confirmed the suspension of the collation exercise and described Mr Obeng’s resignation as "unfortunate." He added that the EC would engage with the Returning Officer to determine whether he would reconsider his decision.  

Stakeholders react  

The NDC’s Ablekuma North Constituency Organiser, Musah Kalamu objected to the use of scanned pink sheets for verification, calling for a rerun of results in the 62 polling stations where discrepancies had been alleged. Of these, 59 have since been verified, leaving three outstanding.  

On the other hand, the NPP, represented by its Director of Research and Elections, Evans Nimako, and its parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriye, remains confident that the truth will prevail. 

The Ablekuma North Constituency is the only constituency still embroiled in dispute over parliamentary election results from the 2024 elections.

What to expect today  

Today’s resumption of the collation process is expected to bring clarity to the contested results. Both parties will be present at the collation centre, with the EC striving to ensure a transparent and conclusive process.  

The contest for the parliamentary seat remains between the NPP’s Nana Akua Owusu Afriye and the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn, with tensions running high as the constituency awaits the final verdict.