A senior lecturer and policy analyst at the University of Ghana’s Political Science Department, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato has questioned the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to proceed with a rerun of election in 19 polling stations in the Ablekuma North Constituency, despite an earlier High Court ruling that directed a collation and declaration of results.
Speaking on 3FM Sunrise with Helen Appiah-Ampofo on July 10, Dr. Zaato described the EC’s directive as a selective application of legal rulings.
“Why is the EC ignoring the first High Court ruling but choosing to obey the second ruling from the High Court? Why does the NDC government want a rerun instead of a collation, as directed by the first ruling of the High Court?” Dr Zaato quizzed.
Referring to the court rulings, Dr. Zaato expressed dismay over what he described as selective compliance: “A High Court ruled that — go, let the Ghana Police Service provide you security, collate and declare the results. Then you look at the High Court and say, ‘High Court, I have heard and understood what you said, but I won’t do that.’ Then another High Court says, go ahead with the re-run, and you are like, ‘Oh good, I’m going to do that.’ Then I ask myself — what was the effect of the first High Court ruling? Have we carried out the ruling? And can you just ignore the court ruling like that? Because it looks like they have done that — and I don’t understand why.” Dr. Zaato wondered.
He cautioned that the refusal of a state institution to comply with court orders could undermine the very foundation of democratic accountability. “If a state institution chooses not to respond or respect a High Court directive, that is not democracy but dictatorship,” Dr. Zaato warned. “Where is the cost for defying a High Court ruling? I’m just asking.”
His remarks come after a High Court, presided over by Justice Ali Baba Abature, dismissed an application for an interim injunction filed by Nana Akua Afriyie, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, which sought to halt the rerun.
Justice Abature ruled that the application was “unmeritorious”, stating that the balance of convenience lies in allowing the EC to fulfill its constitutional duty to ensure voters in Ablekuma North are duly represented in Parliament.
The EC has set the rerun for Friday, July 11, 2025, aimed at concluding the unresolved December 7, 2024 parliamentary elections in the constituency. While the NDC supports the rerun, the NPP maintains that it won the seat legitimately and considers the rerun an unjustified deviation from the law.
