Rashid Tanko-Computer, the Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), has disclosed what he says the NPP has refused to let Ghanaians know, regarding the Ablekuma North parliamentary election.
After months of protracted disagreement over the results of 62 polling stations in the constituency during the 2024 December elections, the polling stations has been narrowed down to 19 after the major stakeholders reached a compromise.
The EC has said these 19 polling stations are going to be rerun before the results can be declared.
Reacting to the development, Tanko-Computer, who has ably represented the NDC in most of its engagements on the issue, lauded the decision which he says is the true reflection of what democracy is.
He disclosed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has refused to reveal to Ghanaians its position regarding the polling stations in contention, unlike the NDC, which has shown magnanimity throughout.
He explained that the factions had a meeting with the EC two weeks ago, where they confirmed that 25 of the 62 stations in question had carbon copies. That notwithstanding, Tanko-Computer averred the NDC has pushed for the remaining stations to be rerun, something the NPP has opposed.
“In that meeting it came out that the 62 that we were following up for a rerun, 25 of them were not scanned copies. They were carbon copies being presented by the NPP there. So, we agreed at the meeting that since they were carbon copies and not scanned copies, we will accept them as being true reflection of the elections.
“So, the 25 carbon copy results were added and that reduced the margin to 37. The rest of the 37 were scanned copies and that was where we ended at 37 and that’s what the NPP is not telling the general public. The NDC were magnanimous at that meeting and said we want resolution to this Ablekuma North matter and therefore these 25 which were carbon copies, we’ll accept them and we accepted them so that’s why it reduced to 37.
“Then the NPP were still insisting that they wanted the 37 to be taken out and leave with only 3, so that the three, they can be used to declare them as winners,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the EC says the decision to rerun the polling stations in question forms part of its efforts to resolve the ongoing impasse surrounding the constituency’s results, which has consequently left the constituents without a Member of Parliament.
In a statement released on Wednesday, July 2, the Commission confirmed a meeting with representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the two major contenders, to discuss the status of the disputed election.
The meeting followed an earlier engagement held on June 12.
Despite the discussions, both parties maintained their earlier positions. The NDC argued for a rerun in all 37 polling stations, contending that the scanned pink sheets used during collation were submitted solely by the NPP.
Conversely, the NPP insisted that results from the remaining three outstanding polling stations should be collated, and a winner declared, stating that NDC agents had already verified the scanned pink sheets in question.
The core of the dispute centred on the fact that 37 scanned pink sheets, used during the collation process during the December 7 voting, were originally provided by the NPP following the destruction of physical documents by political party supporters who stormed the collation centre.
After careful deliberation, the Commission announced its decision to rerun the election in 19 of the 37 polling stations.
According to the statement, although agents from both parties had approved all 37 scanned results, only 18 of these were verified and confirmed by the respective presiding officers. These 18 polling stations will not see a rerun.
“The Commission was able to secure the Presiding Officers’ verification and confirmation for 18 scanned polling station results agents of both parties also approved same. A rerun will therefore not be held in those polling stations,” the statement clarified.
‘This is good news for democracy’ – Tanko-Computer on rerun of 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North
