The Eastern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jamal Konneh, has accused Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa of acting in favor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by refusing to accept the parliamentary results from nine contested constituencies.
In a statement issued in response to the EC’s stance, Konneh criticized Mensa for what he described as a continued effort to secure additional seats for the NPP, claiming that her actions undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
Mensa had recently announced that the commission would not uphold the parliamentary results from the constituencies of Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Ahafo Ano South West, Ahafo Ano North, Obuasi East, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, Techiman South, and Dome-Kwabenya, alleging that these results were made under duress. The EC chair stated that the declarations were considered illegal and that the outstanding collations would follow due process.
“The declarations made by our staff were under threats, and we consider them illegal. We will not uphold results made under threats or duress,” Mensa said during a press conference on December 19, 2024. She further appealed to both outgoing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and incoming President John Dramani Mahama to provide adequate security for EC officials to ensure the completion of the electoral process.
In his response, Konneh rejected Mensa’s claims, asserting that she had been doing the bidding of the NPP since her appointment as EC Chair. He accused her of pushing a “diabolic plan” to alter the results in favor of the ruling party after what he called their “humiliating defeat” in the 2024 elections.
Konneh’s statement specifically addressed several constituencies. In Fanteakwa North, he claimed that the Returning Officer had declared NDC candidate Apaw Wiredu Harun the winner, but the NPP and EC pressured a Deputy Returning Officer to redeclare the results in favor of the NPP at a police training school. Konneh challenged Mensa’s credibility, questioning why the Returning Officer’s statutory declaration was being disregarded in favor of an alternate one.
In Nsawam, Konneh pointed out that an injunction had been served to halt the EC’s actions, but Mensa did not mention that the matter was still in court. Regarding Akwatia, he accused the EC of conducting the results collation with only NPP agents present, excluding NDC representatives, thus compromising the fairness of the process. In Suhum, he criticized the EC for proceeding with the declaration despite issues with the results from six polling stations, contrasting this with the commission’s refusal to accept incomplete results in other areas.
Konneh also recalled that in 2020, Mensa had advised the NDC to go to court over disputed results favoring the NPP. He questioned whether it was within Mensa’s authority to determine whether the results were declared under duress, calling into question her role in interpreting the law.
“The question is, does it lie in her purview to determine whether the declaration of results was under duress or otherwise? Is Jean Mensa now a court of competent jurisdiction?” Konneh asked, accusing her of seeking to bypass legal processes.
In his closing remarks, Konneh vowed that the NDC would “fearlessly and radically resist any illegal maneuvering” by the EC or other NPP-linked officials. He called on Mensa to respect the authority of the Returning Officers and allow them to carry out their duties in accordance with the law.
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