BY Daniel Bampoe
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North in the 2024 general elections, Nana Akua Afriyieh, has firmly rejected the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to conduct a rerun of parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations within the constituency.
Her objection, made public during a Channel One interview on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, has sparked fresh controversy over the integrity of the electoral process.
The EC’s announcement of a partial rerun follows months of disputes over the authenticity of election results in Ablekuma North.
The parliamentary race in the constituency had been hotly contested, and tensions escalated after the December 7, 2024, elections ended without a final certified result.
According to the EC, irregularities were identified in 19 polling stations, prompting the need for a rerun to ensure credibility and transparency.
However, Akua Afriyieh insists the rerun is not only unjustified but also politically motivated.
She claims that the collation of results had been nearly completed, with only three polling stations remaining, before the EC made the abrupt decision to halt the process and call for a rerun.
“We had gone through all the collation processes and were left with just three polling stations,” she stated during the interview. “What changed? The EC had even appeared before Parliament and testified under oath that only three polling stations were pending. This new move contradicts their own sworn testimony.”
Akua Afriyie has also raised suspicions of external influence, particularly from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), which she believes is behind the push for a rerun.
She accuses the NDC of manipulating the situation to snatch a seat they failed to win outright.
“If the NDC is bent on taking the seat and the EC suddenly changes its stance to align with their request, then where is the independence of the Commission?” she questioned. “We are not going to accept this. We are going to challenge this decision.”
Her stance sets the stage for a potential political standoff in Ablekuma North, a traditionally stronghold area for the NPP.
The December 2024 elections nationwide saw tensions rise in several constituencies, but Ablekuma North’s case has remained unresolved longer than most, despite several calls by stakeholders for the EC to expedite the process.
This latest development adds to the growing debate over the transparency and consistency of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, especially in a post-election environment that has seen legal challenges, protests, and calls for reform.
While the EC maintains that the rerun is necessary to uphold electoral integrity, critics argue it risks undermining public trust if perceived as biased or inconsistent.
