The Supreme Court has annulled the re-collated parliamentary election results for Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, and Techiman South, overturning the Electoral Commission’s (EC) declarations for these constituencies.
The decision comes amid a contentious legal battle over the re-collation process and electoral discrepancies. However, the court upheld the re-collated results for Nsawam Adoagyiri and Ahafo Ano North, leaving those constituencies unaffected.
This ruling underscores the judiciary’s critical role in safeguarding electoral integrity and ensuring strict adherence to constitutional procedures, especially in cases of electoral irregularities.
The case stems from a legal challenge brought by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against a December 20 High Court order, which had instructed the EC to re-collate results in nine disputed constituencies. The EC has already implemented the directive in seven of the nine constituencies, all of which were won by New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidates. However, the results for Dome/Kwabenya and Ablekuma North remain unresolved.
The NDC strongly opposed the re-collation process, calling it unlawful and flawed. The party argued that the High Court had exceeded its jurisdiction, undermining the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
In Friday’s ruling, Justice Gabriel Pwamang, the presiding judge, stated that the court had exercised its discretion to annul the EC’s re-collation orders due to the specific circumstances of each case. “We hereby quash the orders of mandamus made for the collation of results by the EC in the constituencies of Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, and Techiman South,” he declared.
The court further ruled that the trial judge had violated the NDC parliamentary candidates’ right to a fair hearing during their High Court application.
While the re-collation orders for the four constituencies were annulled, the mandamus application, which could affect the ongoing electoral dispute, remains active. The case is scheduled for hearing in the High Court on Tuesday, December 31.
