By Issah Olegor
The political temperature in Ablekuma North is boiling over once again as New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh, has dragged the Electoral Commission (EC) to the High Court in Accra over its decision to conduct a rerun of parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations within the constituency.
This legal battle adds a new twist to a contentious post-election dispute that dates back to the December 7, 2024, parliamentary elections, which were marred by violence, disruption, and uncompleted collation of results.
Background: A Disrupted Election and Legal Intervention
The Ablekuma North parliamentary contest in the 2024 general elections turned chaotic when violence erupted at collation centers.
Supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were accused of disrupting collation processes, destroying ballot materials, and allegedly pressuring Electoral Commission officials to abandon the declaration process.
Following the melee, the EC suspended the collation of results, citing security concerns.
In January 2025, the High Court, presided over by Justice Forson Agyapong Baah, ordered the EC to complete the collation and declare results from all 281 polling stations in the constituency.
However, the EC later claimed that results from 37 polling stations remained disputed and later narrowed that number to three polling stations.
Despite the court directive, the EC announced on July 1, 2025, that it would conduct a rerun in 19 affected polling stations on July 11, arguing that results from those stations were not verified by the respective presiding officers, rendering them void.
Afriyieh Pushes Back
In response, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh, a former Member of Parliament for the area and the NPP’s parliamentary candidate in the disputed polls, insists that the EC’s decision is not only unjustified but also in direct contravention of the court’s earlier ruling.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme, Afriyieh stated emphatically that she won the election “fair and square,” backed by certified pink sheets from all 281 polling stations.
She accused the EC of acting in bad faith, stating that the collation process was near completion before the rerun decision was abruptly introduced.
To halt what she calls an illegal rerun, Afriyieh has filed an application for judicial review at the High Court.
Her legal team, led by prominent lawyer Gary Nimako Marfo, is seeking three remedies: an order of certiorari to quash the EC’s rerun directive, an order of prohibition to stop the impending July 11 rerun, and a compelling order directing the EC to adhere strictly to the January court ruling to complete collation.
Legal Grounds: EC Accused of Overreach
In her 29-paragraph affidavit, Afriyieh contends that the EC has exceeded its legal authority.
She argues that under Regulation 42 of Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 127, reruns are only permitted in cases of tie votes—a scenario that has not occurred in Ablekuma North.
Furthermore, she questions the EC’s reliance on scanned pink sheets without proper verification and authentication.
The lawsuit accuses the EC of acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and in excess of its jurisdiction,” adding fuel to long-standing concerns about the Commission’s impartiality and legal fidelity.
Rising Political Tensions
This legal face-off has intensified political tension in the Ablekuma North Constituency and beyond.
While the NPP frames Afriyieh’s court action as a bold move to protect electoral integrity, the NDC insists that only a rerun can ensure a transparent and credible outcome.
Critics have questioned the EC’s shifting position on the number of disputed polling stations, with some alleging that political pressure may be influencing the Commission’s decision-making process.
The outcome of the case could have significant implications for the Electoral Commission’s credibility and may even trigger a constitutional standoff if the court rules against the EC’s planned rerun.
Awaiting the Court’s Verdict
With just days to the scheduled rerun on July 11, the High Court is expected to treat the case with urgency. A ruling in favour of Afriyieh would mean the EC must immediately cancel the rerun and instead resume collation of the original results.
If the court sides with the EC, however, the rerun will proceed, and the fate of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat will be decided anew by voters in the 19 affected polling stations.
