Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh Wins Ahafo Ano North Seat Amid Electoral Re-Collation
The EC has declared Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh from the NPP as the winner of the Ahafo Ano North parliamentary seat after a keenly contested re-counting of the votes cast.
Agyemang-Prempeh scored twenty thousand, three hundred and fifty three votes while his only contender, Kwasi Adusei of the NDC polled twenty thousand, two hundred and thirty two votes. The re-collation was done under very close scrutiny of the judiciary to reaffirm Ghana’s willingness to deal with election disputes in a legal and transparent manner.
Conflict of Election Disputes and Judicial Impact
The re–collation exercise was ordered by the Accra High Court due to election pettiness in nine constituencies in Ghana. They include Nsawam – Adoagyiri in the Eastern Region, Ahafo Ano South West, Ahafo Ano North and Obuasi East in the Ashanti Region, Dome-Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North and Tema Central in Greater Accra Region and Techiman South in Bono East Region.
In its directive, the High Court ordered the EC to proceed with the collation process and announce the results consistent with the laws of Ghana. For the purpose of safeguarding public content and the overall prosecess, the court also instructed the Inspector-General of Police to provide security to all the centers of collation.
Ahafo Ano North: A Close Contest
The Ahafo Ano North constituency was listed as one of the most observers focused during the re-counting. Even the smallest of victories in each parliamentary election serve to indicate that the stakes involved in the race between the NPP and the NDC are very high.
Hearing of the candidacy of Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh strengthens the NPP in the legislative assembly, as well as highlighting the mite functions of free and- fair of elections as a measure of a genuine result. However, peaceful resolution of the Ahafo Ano North re–collation signifies sustained strength of democracies in Ghana.
READ ALSO: John Mahama Calls for Calm Amid Electoral Disputes Following Ghana’s 2024 Elections
Nationwide Re-Collation under Tight security
The re-counting exercise by the Electoral Commission is being done in its battles ready offices, and some constituencies are being conducted in the Greater Accra Region. The police and the military have again been deployed highlighting the need to exercise security and sovereignty during this crucial stage of the exercise.
Another feature of the EC’s commitment to transparency is the very careful method taken to address complaints arising from electoral disputes. The commission worries that failure to follow the court ruling in terms of security provision at collation centres may erode Ghanaisns confidence with the electoral body.
Further Implication on Ghana’s Democracy
The re – collation forms part of a clear political evolution as it relates to the democracy journey of Ghana. Election related conflicts are usual across any competitive democracies, but the availably of solving such problems judicially or through institutional measures is an evidence of good governance system in the country.
For all the concerned constituencies, the process of re-counting provides an opportunity to assert the voters’ choice and guarantee that delegations in the parliament correspond to result of the election. The process also helps to remind participants of electoral laws and accountability to the public principles of transparency.
Moving Forward
While the re- tallying exercise proceeds in the remaining areas the political parties,the security forces and the public are encouraged to exercise restraint and accept the results. The electoral institutions of the Ghanaian polity have time and again shown that they can rise to the occasion and that this latest exercise is no exception.
The determination of other disputes in constituencies should therefore be made in line with the resolution of the disputed constituency as is the case of Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh who won in Ahafo Ano North constituency. It brings the discourse to raison d’être of confidence in the democracy of an election and the duty of stakeholders to ensure the prevention of electoral fraud in Ghana.
The hopeful moved to the productive side of the electoral arena after the Electoral Commission of Ghana re-collated the votes to affirm Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh win of Ahafo Ano North seat.
While the nation continues to anxiously wait for the rest of the re-counting exercise to be completed in other constituencies, the aim and still remain in making sure that the results annul gives the people a fair and peaceful outcome democratically. This moment again affirms the stability and the resilience of Constitutional democracy in Ghana within the African region at large.