Policy analyst and senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, has slammed the Electoral Commission (EC) for what he perceives as a surrender to political pressure in its decision to conduct a rerun of parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations in the Ablekuma North constituency.
He argued that the EC’s dramatic shift from its earlier stance – asserting that it possessed all necessary results and awaited only security clearance to declare the winner – raises serious concerns regarding the Commission’s independence and integrity.
“The EC had been consistent all along. They kept saying, ‘We have the numbers, we have everything to declare the results. All we need is the police to provide security.’ That was their consistent position in court and in Parliament,” Dr. Zaato stated.
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Speaking on TV3’s “The Key Points” on Saturday, he pointed to the sudden reversal in the EC’s position, which he attributed directly to public threats made by the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
“I believe that something massive shifted the EC’s stance. And that something was when the NDC Chairman openly threatened to remove the EC Chair and her two deputies. That is the only new variable,” he stated.
Decision for rerun
Dr. Zaato questioned the credibility and timing of the EC’s recent explanation. According to a statement released by the Commission on July 1, the decision to rerun elections in the 19 polling stations followed discussions with both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and was necessitated by challenges in verifying results from several of those centres.
Dismissing this explanation, Dr. Zaato countered, “The Deputy EC Commissioner had already gone to Parliament and stated categorically that they had everything they needed, and if a rerun were needed at all, it would be in just three polling stations. So did the EC lie to Parliament? If not, what changed within a matter of days?”
He accused the Commissioners of a desperate attempt to appease the NDC to safeguard their positions.
He stressed, “They are sacrificing the credibility of the Electoral Commission just to save their jobs. But it is too late. The NDC has made it clear: they will still remove you.”
Dr. Zaato called for a complete restructuring of the EC’s leadership, insisting on a change at the very top. He argued that the current leadership – comprising Jean Mensa, Bosman Asare, and Samuel Tettey – must all be replaced. “This damage is irreparable. If you aimed to stay in office by caving in, you’ve failed – because your credibility is gone,” he stated firmly.
The Ablekuma North Constituency has become a significant point of contention in the aftermath of the 2024 parliamentary elections, with both the NDC and the NPP maintaining opposing views on the outcome. The EC’s latest decision, intended to bring about a resolution, appears to have further escalated tensions in the constituency.