Claim: Multiple social media handles declare different winners for parliamentary elections for Ablekuma North Constituency.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s checks reveal that the Electoral Commission of Ghana has yet to declare a winner for the Ablekuma North Constituency.
Full Text
Ghanaians went to the polls on Dec 7, 2024, to elect a president and members of parliament for the various constituencies. The seemingly peaceful election saw Ghanaians vote for a change of the incumbent government. John Dramani Mahama was voted for and sworn in as president on Jan. 7, 2024.
However, some constituency results for aspiring Members of Parliament have been marred by chaotic scenes and misunderstandings. Several days after the Dec 7 elections, nine outstanding constituency results remained a subject of controversy and court decisions. Winners for these constituencies were either not declared or nullified. The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has since resolved and gazetted results for 274 out of the 275 constituencies. One of the constituencies remains outstanding- Ablekuma North.
Multiple users on X (formerly Twitter) have shared flyers suggesting that the EC has now declared a winner for the Ablekuma North constituency. In one breath, a post alleges that Ewurabena Aubynn, the parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress, has been declared the winner. On the other hand, another post alleges Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, the incumbent and parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party, has been declared MP-elect.
Both posts garnered over 40,000 views and have the potential to mislead. DUBAWA decided to investigate this in its efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation.
Verification
DUBAWA’s findings reveal that as of Jan 14, 2025, the EC has gazetted parliamentary results for 274 out of 275 constituencies. The Ablekuma North constituency has the only outstanding results.
DUBAWA contacted Mr Benjamin Bano Bio, director of electoral services at the Electoral Commission of Ghana, who stated that the EC is yet to confirm results for the Ablekuma North constituency.
“No, EC has not concluded on Ablekuma North,” he stated.
Considering the controversy surrounding constituency results, the declaration of Ablekuma North results would have made headlines. However, no credible media outlet in Ghana has published on the issue.
Conclusion
The claim that the EC has declared an MP-elect for the Ablekuma North constituency is false. As of Jan 14, 2024, the EC has yet to conclude and declare the results for the constituency.