The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected the parliamentary results for the Tema Central constituency announced by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The collation, which began at the Chemu Senior High Technical School on Saturday night, was relocated to the Tema Regional Police Command on Monday, December 9, 2024, following disagreements that escalated into police firing teargas.
The incident resulted in the collapse of one EC official in the early hours of Sunday.
Supervised by Tema Metro Electoral Officer Manasseh Ofosuhene Asante, the collation process at the Tema Regional Police Headquarters was marred by disputes between NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC) representatives over the validity of figures on three out of the 148 pink sheets used in the process.
The NDC team, led by South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, flagged the pink sheets in question, citing the failure of Presiding Officers to endorse them and rejecting their inclusion in the final tally.
Conversely, NPP constituency chairman Charles Boateng argued that the disputed sheets must be included to ensure accuracy.
After four hours of deliberation, the EC’s Tema Metro Director opted not to declare the results, instead referring the matter to the EC’s head office for resolution.
This decision angered NDC officials, including Deputy National Communication Officer Malik Basintale, who rallied supporters to storm the collation center.
The protestors destroyed property, including canopies, chairs, and police barricades, demanding the immediate declaration of Ebi Bright, the NDC parliamentary candidate, as the winner.
Amid the chaos, EC officials were escorted by police into a secure office, while political representatives and media personnel sought safety.
Approximately an hour later, the Tema West Municipal Election Officer, John Nunoo, emerged under duress and declared Ebi Bright as the winner, announcing she had secured 18,539 votes against NPP’s Charles Forson, who garnered 18,421 votes.
Independent candidate Fredrick Aniagyei received 207 votes. Mr. Nunoo reported 37,308 total valid votes, with 141 rejected ballots.
This declaration temporarily calmed the situation, but NPP candidate Charles Forson condemned it as illegitimate, noting that Mr. Nunoo was not the Returning Officer for Tema Central.
He accused the NDC of disrupting the process after realizing their loss and mobilizing thugs to force a favorable declaration.
Mr. Forson maintained that the NPP’s internal analysis of the pink sheets confirmed his victory. He vowed to contest the results in court if a scheduled meeting at the EC office in Accra on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, does not reverse what he described as an illegal declaration.
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