The collation of parliamentary election results for the Ablekuma North Constituency was 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.
However, suspected thugs have ransacked the collation centre at the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Electoral Commission. While members of the media awaited the commencement of the process, a group of individuals – some of whom were wearing colours of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – stormed the venue, ordered everyone to leave, and vandalised property, including louvre blades and doors.
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.
