The National Peace Council says its checks with relevant stakeholders have confirmed that the collation exercise for the Akwatia, Nsawam-Adoagyiri, and Fanteakwa constituencies at the Tesano Police Training School in the Greater Accra Region was conducted at the instance of the Electoral Commission (EC) and not any political party or the Ghana Police Service.
According to the Council, the change in venue for the collation was due to widely reported incidents of disruptions, destruction, and arson at other collation centers across the country.
In a press statement issued on Friday, December 13, 2024, the NPC called on all political party representatives to utilize every legal avenue available to address their concerns to ensure the safety of all participants at this stage of the electoral process.
“The NPC calls on the EC to convene an emergency Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting with all political party representatives and other key stakeholders to discuss and agree on an amicable resolution to the impasse.
“The NPC also encourages the media to continue its diligent efforts to report and broadcast election-related activities to the Ghanaian public to ensure transparency in the electoral process,” the statement said.
The NPC added that it will continue to engage all relevant stakeholders to resolve this matter and ensure a peaceful resolution.
Meanwhile, the EC has announced that the collation has been put on hold until further notice.
According to the EC, the inability to collate and declare results on Election Day, which led to the re-collation at the Tesano Police Depot, was due to disruptions in the collation processes caused by political party supporters on Election Day and the days following.
In a statement dated December 13, 2024, signed by Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman of Operations, the Commission disclosed that all political parties were duly notified of the venue for the collation before the exercise was carried out.
“It is important for the public to know that the Commission informed political parties of the change in location to the Tesano Police Training Depot after reaching an agreement with the Inspector General of Police and his team.
“Indeed, all the agents of the political parties observed the process yesterday, which resulted in the collation and declaration of results for the Fanteakwa North, Akwatia, and Suhum Constituencies. We urge all stakeholders to collaborate with the Commission as we carry out our mandate,” the statement said.
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After the December 2024 polls, there have been security concerns across the country. Catch Etsey Atisu’s interview with security analyst, Adib Saani, on Election Desk on GhanaWeb TV below:
