The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, has asserted that the Electoral Commission (EC) does not require a court order to re-collate results in disputed constituencies.
His statement follows the Supreme Court’s December 27 ruling, which overturned an earlier High Court decision directing the EC to re-collate results in certain constituencies due to disputes.
The ruling has sparked fresh debate about the EC’s authority to independently address discrepancies in election results.
Speaking during an interview on Channel One TV, Atta Akyea emphasized that the EC has a constitutional mandate to re-collate results in constituencies where irregularities or fraud are suspected. He highlighted the EC’s autonomy in reviewing parliamentary election outcomes to uphold credibility and accuracy.
“I do not see the need for anyone to seek a mandamus order when the EC itself has the power to review results. The EC, in fulfilling its constitutional duties, can act upon evidence that someone has benefited from electoral fraud or irregularities,” Atta Akyea explained.
He further elaborated on scenarios where discrepancies could necessitate a re-collation, stating, “If certain polling stations were excluded during the collation process and the results have not been gazetted, the EC has every right to rectify such errors without requiring a court order. For example, what happens if the declaration is based on an error and lacks the full complement of pink sheets?”
When questioned about whether the EC should have waited for a court application before undertaking re-collation, Atta Akyea firmly disagreed.
“I believe it is unnecessary to wait for a mandamus order,” he said. “Parliament should be free from controversy. No one should benefit from electoral fraud to secure a seat in the chamber. How can anyone justify sitting in Parliament under such circumstances? Issues like duress and errors in computation undermine the integrity of the election process.”
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