Feverish campaigning travelled deep into the night of yesterday as the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) mopped up whatever was available for today’s partial rerun of the Ablekuma North parliamentary election in the Greater Accra Region.

The interesting spectacle featured a buoyant Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie of the NPP and the NDC’s Awurabena Aubynn personally deploying themselves on foot in the 19 relevant polling stations for a door-to-door campaign.

Until very late in the rerun schedule, the NPP had indicated that it would not participate in the voting process in those 19 polling stations, claiming that the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) flouted a previous court order.

However, the party’s candidate appears to have side-stepped the party position in a seeming demonstration of her faith in her chances to overcome the odds.

The area was gingered up last Wednesday when the NDC’s vibrant youth communicator and current Chief Executive of the Youth Employment Agency, Malik Basintale, led a “youth invasion” of the constituency.

Riding on motorbikes in a coordinated fashion, the group whipped up energy among the party faithful in the constituency as it made a dash for one more seat for the party.

The decision to rerun the election in the 19 polling stations stemmed from a dispute over the authenticity of results from those polling stations in the December 7, 2024, election.

With hard copies of result forms — commonly known as pink sheets — unavailable, the EC had relied on scanned copies, which had been the point of dispute.

Despite earlier protests and an attempt by the NPP candidate, Ms Afriyie, to halt the rerun through the courts, the High Court last Tuesday dismissed the injunction application, clearing the EC to proceed.

The NDC and its candidate, Ms Aubynn, have welcomed the process and urged their supporters to vote.

The outcome of today’s polls will finally determine parliamentary representation for the constituency, which has been without a Member of Parliament (MP) for six months due to the unresolved results.

Voter reaction

When the Daily Graphic team visited the constituency yesterday, it found out that the constituents were split on experience but united in their desire for peace and progress.

Many residents who spoke to the newspaper expressed enthusiasm about returning to the polls.

“I am very ready to go and vote,” said Patience Alavanyo, a cold store operator, who added that a rerun was necessary in the absence of a clear winner.

Others, like Georgina Boateng, a provisions shop owner, echoed the call for calm, saying: “Everyone should be peaceful and calm. We’re only looking for what’s best for everyone.”

Some voters, however, held mixed feelings about the EC’s handling of the situation. 

“The EC didn’t deliver on its mandate,” said one Ruben, who questioned the jump from three disputed polling stations' results to 19 polling stations, suggesting possible political manipulation.

Meanwhile, Comfort Dosseh, a hairdresser, felt the EC had “done its best” and expressed the hope that the rerun would produce an undisputed result.

Across the board, voters lamented the absence of parliamentary representation for six months. 

“It has affected us negatively,” said Prince Gyan, a constituent.

“Ablekuma North has been left behind in terms of development,” he added.

Many called for an MP who would prioritise jobs, infrastructure and accountability.

Preparedness

The EC’s Director of Electoral Services, Benjamin Bano-Bioh, expressed confidence in the commission’s preparedness and commitment to conduct a credible election.

He said all logistics, including panels and voting materials, were in place, and that security agencies had assured the EC of adequate protection.

To boost transparency and restore public trust, Mr Bano-Bioh revealed that results from the 19 polling stations would not only be submitted physically, but also scanned and sent via a dedicated platform to the commission.

The collation process, he said, would involve agents from all parties, with additional room for three representatives per party, as well as the candidates and their spouses.

Mr Bano-Bioh projected a quick collation process due to the limited number of polling stations involved.

On lessons learned, he acknowledged past disruptions and urged political parties to discourage violence by refusing to reward disruptive elements.

He called for collective responsibility and strong security collaboration to preserve the integrity of future elections and to ensure peaceful outcomes.