The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised objections to the declaration of Ernest Yaw Kumi of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the MP-elect for the Akwatia constituency in the Eastern Region.
Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, a leading member of the NDC, emphasized that the party will not accept the declaration, citing what he termed discrepancies with the results on the pink sheets.
The controversy emerged after the Electoral Commission (EC) moved the collation of disputed results from several constituencies in the Eastern Region to the Police Training School in Tesano, Greater Accra, on December 12. This relocation was aimed at preventing the chaos experienced in other constituencies during the process.
Following the re-collation at the Police Training School, the returning officer declared Mr. Kumi as the winner of the Akwatia seat. However, the NDC contested the declaration, arguing that the NPP’s polling station agents did not present original pink sheets but only photocopies. Dr. Otokunor explained that although the NDC initially raised no objections to the photocopied pink sheets, they later found discrepancies between the NPP’s and their own pink sheets.
In addition, Dr. Otokunor stated that the results were collated in the absence of the NDC team, who arrived late to the venue. Despite their objections, the process continued, with Dr. Otokunor claiming that his request for a two-hour delay was denied by EC Chairperson Jean Mensa.
The NDC noted the declaration of Mr. Kumi as MP for Akwatia as “illegal” and called for a proper collation and declaration process. The party remains optimistic that they will secure victory in disputed constituencies in the Eastern Region.
