Accra, July 3, 2025 — The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly rejected the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to rerun polling station elections in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North Constituency. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, described the EC’s decision as “unlawful, disingenuous, and a dangerous precedent for Ghana’s democracy.”
The EC, in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 2, cited a lack of verification by presiding officers for scanned results used in the collation of the December 2024 parliamentary election. The Commission claimed that while the results had been approved by party agents, they had not been verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations.
However, the NPP has pushed back forcefully, arguing that only three polling stations remain to be collated—not 19—and that this has been consistently confirmed by the EC itself through multiple statements, meetings, and even a parliamentary appearance.
“The EC’s sudden U-turn is shocking,” said Kodua Frimpong. “They have on record stated that only three polling stations remain. Why are they now talking about 19?”
A Matter Already in Court
The NPP pointed out that the High Court in Accra had already ordered the EC to complete the collation of results in four constituencies, including Ablekuma North. While the EC has completed collation and declared results in the other three—Tema Central, Okaikwei Central, and Techiman South—Ablekuma North remains unresolved.
Frimpong recalled that collation was disrupted multiple times by what the party described as “NDC thugs,” an accusation supported by a prior EC statement from January 17. That statement blamed NDC supporters for invading the collation center and creating an unsafe environment for EC staff.
Despite these disruptions, the NPP said that the EC managed to collate 59 out of the 62 remaining polling stations as per the High Court’s order. This collation was done in the presence of party agents and verified by EC officers.
“The EC has on several occasions told us and the public that only three polling stations are left to be collated,” the NPP insisted, citing official correspondence and video evidence.
The Disputed 19
The NPP expressed confusion over the EC’s decision to rerun elections in 19 polling stations, especially when one of the three remaining polling stations—Glory Land Hotel Odorkor (1)—is not even listed among the 19 in the EC’s new directive.
“This is how God has chosen to expose the duplicity of the EC,” said Frimpong.
The party also questioned the EC’s legal authority to unilaterally order a rerun. According to the NPP, neither the Constitution nor Ghana’s electoral laws empower the EC to rerun elections that have already been duly conducted and verified.
“Only a court of competent jurisdiction can order such a rerun,” the party emphasized.
Political Pressure?
The NPP further alleged that the EC’s decision may be influenced by threats from the opposition NDC, noting comments by NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah about removing EC officials. The party accused the EC of yielding to political pressure in an attempt to secure its leadership’s continued tenure.
“If we allow this, it sets a dangerous precedent,” said Frimpong. “Parties will focus on thuggery rather than campaigns. That’s not democracy.”
A Call for Intervention
Calling for public vigilance, the NPP urged civil society organizations, religious leaders, and the National Peace Council to speak out against what it sees as an erosion of democratic norms.
“We fear that elections in 2028 will be chaotic if this is allowed to stand,” Frimpong warned.
The NPP called on the EC to complete the collation of the remaining three polling station results in compliance with the High Court’s order, asserting that the law supports the use of electronic records, including scanned pink sheets, when hard copies are unavailable.
“Unlike the NDC, we are confident that when all 281 polling station results are tallied, our candidate Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh will emerge victorious with 34,613 votes against the NDC’s 34,199.”
The party concluded by confirming that it has instructed its legal team to challenge the EC’s rerun directive in Ablekuma North
