CARE Ghana Sounds Alarm Over Electoral Commission’s Handling of Ablekuma North Constituency Results and Calls for Rerun of 62 Polling Centers

CARE Ghana, a civil society organization advocating for free and fair elections, has expressed profound concern over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) mishandling of the collation process in the Ablekuma North Constituency. This comes after a High Court order directed the EC to complete the collation of results in four constituencies, including Ablekuma North.

According to CARE Ghana, the EC’s admission of losing all pink sheets from the 281 polling centers in the constituency due to disruptions at the collation center raises serious doubts about the legitimacy of the collation process. The organization is alarmed by the EC’s decision to introduce fabricated pink sheets from 62 polling centers, which have been rejected by some EC officers due to their inability to authenticate them.

CARE Ghana is demanding that the EC take immediate action to address these concerns. The organization is calling for:

Immediate Suspension of the Collation Process: The EC must halt the collation exercise until a transparent and credible framework is established to ensure the integrity of the results.
Accountability and Explanation: The EC must publicly disclose how it obtained the election results to complete the collation process.
Independent Review: An independent body must investigate the EC’s actions and hold all responsible parties accountable.
Rerun in 62 Polling Centers: A rerun in the affected polling centers is the only viable solution to restore the will of the people and ensure fairness.

The situation has been further complicated by the resignation of the Returning Officer for Ablekuma North, who was tasked with the constitutional duty to collate and declare results. CARE Ghana’s Executive Director, David Kumi Addo, emphasized that the actions of the Electoral Commission represent a betrayal of the principles of democracy and the trust of the Ghanaian people.

Read full statement below;

Date: January 12th, 2025

“CARE” GHANA CAUTIONS EC AGAINST MANUFACTURING FAKE PINK SHEETS TO COMPLETE THE ABLEKUMA NORTH CONSTITUENCY COLLATION EXERCISE AND CALL FOR RERUN IN 62 POLLING CENTERS

Care for Free and Fair Elections Ghana (“CARE” GHANA) expresses profound concern
over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) mishandling of the collation process in the Ablekuma North Constituency, following a High Court order directing the EC to complete the collation of results in four constituencies, including Ablekuma North constituency. Our observations reveal alarming irregularities that undermine the credibility of the collation
process. The questionable and non-transparent approach to completing the court-ordered
collation exercise raises serious doubts about the legitimacy of the collation process.

Following a High Court directive to complete the collation of results in four constituencies,
including Ablekuma North, the EC shockingly admitted to losing all pink sheets from the 281 polling centers in the constituency due to disruptions at the collation center. Instead of addressing this critical lapse transparently and inclusively, the EC has resorted to
questionable methods, declaring that it has “other ways” of obtaining the polling station
results to complete the collation. Shockingly, neither the media, parliamentary candidates,
political parties, nor the general public have been informed of these methods.

This lack of transparency raises serious doubts about the credibility of the process. To our
dismay, the EC has introduced fabricated pink sheets from 62 polling centers with results
that bear no resemblance to the original records. These manufactured documents, which the EC has refused to share with all key stakeholders, undermine the sanctity of the electoral process.

Even some officers of the EC have rejected the figures on these dubious pink sheets, stating their inability to authenticate them and confirm their accuracy. The situation has further deteriorated with the resignation of the Returning Officer for Ablekuma North tasked with the constitutional duty to collate and declare results.

“CARE” GHANA demands the following:

1. Immediate Suspension of the Collation Process:

The EC must halt the collation exercise until a transparent and credible framework is established to ensure the integrity of the results.

2. Accountability and Explanation:

The EC must publicly disclose how it obtained the election results to complete the collation process, and share the information with the media, candidates, political
parties, and the general public.

3. Independent Review:

An independent body must investigate the EC’s actions, including fabricating pink
sheets purporting to come from the polling station in the Ablekuma North
Constituency, and hold all responsible parties accountable for undermining the
electoral process.

4. Rerun in 62 Polling Centers:

Given the loss of original pink sheets and the EC’s inability to produce credible
alternatives, a rerun in the affected polling centers is the only viable solution to
restore the will of the people and ensure fairness.

The actions of the Electoral Commission in this matter represent a betrayal of the
principles of democracy and the trust of the Ghanaian people. We call on all stakeholders
to demand accountability and ensure that the people’s wll prevails.

Thank You

Signed:

David Kumi Addo

Executive Director (“CARE” GHANA)