The protesters seen in a video on social media expressing their dissatisfaction with the results, burned car tyres along the Abeka stretch and called for justice for Baba Sadiq Abdulai, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate. The demonstrators alleged that Mr. Sadiq, who was initially reported as the winner, was unfairly denied victory during a recent re-collation exercise.
Re-collation and declaration of results
The protests follow the conclusion of a court-ordered re-collation of parliamentary results for four constituencies, including Okaikwei Central. The exercise, conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) at its Greater Accra Regional Office under heavy police and military security, declared Patrick Yaw Boamah the winner with 21,099 votes. His NDC opponent, Baba Sadiq, secured 19,368 votes.
The re-collation exercise was necessitated by a directive from the Accra High Court, which ordered the EC to complete the collation and declaration of results in nine disputed constituencies by 6th January 2025. The affected constituencies included Dome-Kwabenya, Tema Central, Ablekuma North, and Techiman South, among others.
Residents demand transparency
Speaking to the media, some protesters alleged irregularities in the re-collation process and accused the EC of bias. "We believe Baba Sadiq won the election. The re-collation has robbed us of our choice. We will not rest until justice is served," a protester stated.
Despite the demonstrations, Mr. Boamah remains the duly declared winner and is set to retain his seat in Parliament for another term.
The re-collation process was initiated after disputes arose over results in several constituencies during the 2024 Parliamentary Election. The Accra High Court instructed the EC to ensure transparency in the process while directing the Inspector-General of Police to maintain security at collation centres.
Irate NDC youth burn tyres, block Abeka-Lapaz Market road over neglect by National Executives over Okaikoi Central Parliamentary elections dispute. pic.twitter.com/4knM4g46s3
— Serwaa Amihere (@Serwaa_Amihere) January 7, 2025
