Council of State Elections: ‘This Is a Non-Partisan Election, Yet Violence Erupted’ – EC Expresses Disappointment
Unidentified assailants stormed the election center, destroying ballot boxes and halting the counting process
- Thugs disrupted the Ashanti Region Council of State election
- Electoral Commission officials suspended the process and were unable to declare a winner
- Ashanti Regional EC Director called the incident "disgusting and disappointing"
The Electoral Commission (EC) conducted nationwide Council of State elections yesterday, February 11, 2025, with 155 candidates, including 10 women, vying for seats across all 16 regions.
The polls took place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at regional coordinating councils across the regional capitals. Unlike public voting, the process was conducted through an Electoral College comprising two representatives nominated by each District Assembly.
However, the Ashanti Region’s election process descended into chaos when a group of unidentified thugs stormed the election center, disrupting the sorting and counting of ballots and assaulting a journalist.
Lawson News reporter Papa Dat revealed that the assailants forcefully entered the venue, overturning tables, destroying ballot boxes, and scattering voting materials. The violence compelled EC officials to suspend the process immediately.
Speaking on Lawson TV’s Ghana Se Sen Morning Show with Kwame Tanko, the Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, Mr. Osei Nsiah, recounted the incident. According to him, the election started smoothly but took a shocking turn during the ballot counting process.
“We had opened the ballot boxes and were sorting and counting the ballots when, all of a sudden, thugs stormed the venue. We had to run for our lives,” Mr. Nsiah said.
He confirmed that the entire process was truncated, leaving no winner declared. “The ballot boxes, papers, and everything were disrupted. We couldn’t declare a winner because the process was cut short. The next steps will come from the national office,” he explained.
Expressing his frustration, Mr. Nsiah remarked, “What happened was disgusting, as the videos going viral show. I was highly surprised and disappointed because this is supposed to be a non-partisan election.”
The Electoral Commission is expected to announce its next course of action in response to the disruption.
