Ablekuma North Rerun: EC denies political bias claims, assures transparent poll

Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted claims of political bias as it prepares to conduct a rerun of parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North constituency on Friday, July 11.

The Commission’s response follows intense criticism from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has accused the EC of favouring the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The NPP claims the rerun is a result of undue pressure on the Commission and has described the process as illegitimate and politically motivated.

The party has officially pulled out of the election, citing concerns over fairness and legality.

However, in a surprising turn of events, the NPP’s own parliamentary candidate for the area, Nana Akua Afriyie, is expected to take part in the rerun following dismissal of an injunction application by the Accra High Court.

At a press briefing on Thursday, July 10, Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chair in charge of Corporate Services at the EC, described the allegations as baseless and reaffirmed the Commission’s independence.

“The Commission’s attention has been drawn to unfounded accusations that it has been influenced by certain individuals to pursue the rerun. We state categorically that Ghana’s Electoral Management Body (EMB) is independent and will not be dictated to by any person or institution. Our track record speaks for itself,” he said.

He further noted that security arrangements had been finalized with the Ghana Police Service and the National Election Security Taskforce (NEST) to safeguard the process and ensure the safety of voters and officials.

“The aftermath of the 7th December Election and the processes to complete the collation in 12 constituencies have created fear not only in our staff but voters in general. We trust that the NEST will provide the needed security before, during and after the process so we can vote and work in peace,” Dr. Asare stated.

According to the EC, the rerun became necessary because proper verification could not be completed in 19 out of 37 polling stations during the December 2024 parliamentary elections.

Results from the remaining 18 stations had already been certified.

Since the disputed polls, the Ablekuma North constituency has remained without a Member of Parliament, as legal battles between the NPP and NDC delayed the completion of the collation process.

The EC reiterated its resolve to conclude the process and ensure that residents of the constituency are represented in Parliament.

“On our part, we are desirous of bringing the election in the Ablekuman North Constituency to a conclusion and to the ensure that the Constituents have a representative in Parliament. We have thus provided a path to complete the collation process so as to ensure that the residents of Ablekuma North have a representative in Parliament,” the EC assured.