Alexander Afenyo-Markin
The Minority in Parliament has raised serious concerns over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to rerun parliamentary election in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North Constituency, describing the move as inconsistent and politically suspicious.
In a spirited address to the House, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, called for the EC to be summoned before Parliament to explain the rationale behind what he described as a sudden U-turn.
He said the Commission’s decision contradicts earlier assurances that it had completed the collation of results in the constituency and only required security clearance to declare a winner.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin questioned whether the EC was succumbing to political pressure, particularly from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), following public threats by its National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, to remove the EC Chairperson and her deputies.
“When it is clear that the EC was on course to complete this process, we are being told today that there is going to be a rerun in some polling stations. It is unfair, it is unjust,” the Minority Leader said.
He cited a precedent in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, where the EC relied on tally sheets to declare results despite outstanding polling stations. “Mr. Speaker, today we have a member in this chamber from Dome-Kwabenya because when it was left with a few polling stations, the EC relied on tally cards,” he noted.
Recounting a briefing by a Deputy EC Chairperson to Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the Commission had previously indicated that all that was needed to finalise the Ablekuma North results was security to collate results of the last three polling stations. “I ask a question: what has changed?” he queried.
He warned that the politicisation of electoral processes could set a dangerous precedent. “Today it may benefit you, but tomorrow it may be your turn,” he cautioned, urging Majority Members of Parliament (MPs) to support the call for the EC to brief Parliament. “We must not allow this,” he added.
Responding to the concerns, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, defended the Electoral Commission, stating that the decision to rerun the 19 polling stations was based purely on procedural lapses.
According to Mr. Ayariga, the EC discovered that its own presiding officers at the affected stations failed to verify the results, making them unreliable. “The EC is saying that their own presiding officers did not verify the 19 polling stations, and because of that, those results cannot be used,” he explained.
He also pushed back against accusations of political interference. “Let us not politicise this and say that just because a National Chairman of a political party made a statement, the EC is intimidated. Why are you afraid?” he challenged the Minority.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House