Ablekuma North Returning Officer Steps Down Amid Election Tension
Frustrations mount as election result collation stalls, triggering accusations of manipulation and heightened unrest
- Vincent Obeng steps down from overseeing Ablekuma North election results
- The NDC accuses the EC of collaborating with the NPP to manipulate results from remaining polling stations
- Dr. Serebour Quaicoe expresses regret over the officer’s resignation
The Returning Officer for Ablekuma North, Vincent Obeng, has officially stepped down from overseeing the collation of election results in the constituency.
Frustrated by challenges in the process, he informed the Electoral Commission (EC) on January 8, 2025, that a replacement should be found to continue the task.
Obeng had already completed the collation of results from four of seven polling stations, leaving three still pending. However, complications arose as two presiding officers were unable to authenticate the necessary election forms, while one was absent.
Speaking to Channel One News’ Hanson Agyemang, Obeng expressed, “I’ve done all I can, and unfortunately, I’m done with Ablekuma North. The EC should find a new Returning Officer to handle the remaining work.”
In response, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Training at the EC, expressed disappointment over the development.
Tensions had already been high at the EC’s Greater Accra Regional Office after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) accused the EC of collaborating with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to manipulate election results. NDC Constituency Organiser Musa Kalamu alleged that the EC was complicit in altering figures from the pink sheets of the remaining polling stations.
The controversy came after the EC had temporarily suspended the collation process on January 6 due to unresolved issues with results from seven polling stations, which the EC was working to authenticate before resuming the collation. Out of 20 outstanding polling stations, the NPP had successfully authenticated 13 of the pink sheets submitted.
