The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has announced plans to rerun the elections for one polling center in the Dome Kwabenya constituency. This decision comes after significant discrepancies were found in the election results, which have led to ongoing disputes about the validity of the outcome.
The rerun will take place at the Abokobi Women’s Development Centre 2 before the official inauguration of the new Parliament on January 7, 2025. The controversy surrounding this election stems from the recent declaration that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Elikplim Akurugu, was the winner of the December 7, 2024 elections. However, this declaration has been challenged due to inconsistencies in the results from three polling stations.
During the collation process for 367 polling stations, tensions escalated when disputes arose over how many polling stations required re-collation. Mike Oquaye Jnr., the parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), raised concerns, arguing that the NPP was not present during the collation of results from 85 out of the 88 polling stations. He claimed this absence invalidated the results declared in their absence.
In contrast, the NDC maintained that only three polling stations were left to be collated and rejected the claims made by their opponents. As the disagreements continued, the EC decided to act by rerunning the elections at the affected polling center to ensure a fair outcome.
Elikplim Akurugu’s initial victory was significant, as it represented a shift in a seat that was previously considered safe for the NPP. However, her win was overshadowed by allegations of irregularities, including claims that some results were tampered with after party supporters reportedly crowded the collation center.
The exact date for the rerun election has yet to be announced, but it is a crucial step in resolving the controversy surrounding the Dome Kwabenya parliamentary seat. The EC’s decision reflects its commitment to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that every vote is counted fairly.
