I’m entitled to a recount by law, says KT Hammond

Kobina Tahir Hammond, Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, has claimed that he was denied a recount during the collation of results for the constituency’s 2024 general election, despite raising concerns over the process.

Hammond has lost his parliamentary seat to Godwin Animli Dorgbadzi-Dorani of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who secured 14,229 votes (51.73%) to Hammond’s 13,276 votes (48.27%).

Speaking on JoyNews, Hammond, who also serves as the Minister for Trade and Industry, detailed his efforts to challenge the results. 

He revealed that he formally requested a recount at the collation centre, following up with a written complaint. However, his requests were refused. 

“I officially complained at the collation centre that, considering all that I was observing, I needed a recount,” Hammond said. 

“I followed it up with a formal complaint. The returning officer said that she had to confer with Kumasi. They came back to say that Kumasi had said that if she had the pink sheet, they should go ahead and declare.”

Hammond’s objections centred on discrepancies with the ballot boxes and the pink sheets, which are used to tally votes. 

According to him, some of the pink sheets were not actually pink but white, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the results. 

“Some of the pink sheets that have come to my attention are not quite pink; they are actually white. I know some ballot boxes cannot be accounted for, [and] I know I have an entitlement under the law for a recount that’s all been refused so far.”

He further emphasised that the irregularities were not just procedural but could potentially affect the integrity of the election outcome. 

“I’m just worried that the ballot papers themselves may not accurately represent what you find on the so-called pink sheet,” he said. 

“The pink sheets are supposed to be pink at the back [and] white in the front. Some of the papers that are masqueraded as pink sheets are really white—white at the back, white in the front.”

In the face of this, Hammond decided to step away from the collation process, refusing to be part of what he described as an illegal declaration. 

“I told the returning officer if that was the case and they were not going to heed to my call, I wasn’t going to be part of the collation,” he said.

“Of course, I observed that there was a lot of tension. I wasn’t going to aggravate the situation by adding to what was going on. I decided to take my officers home and decided to have a look at how I intend to proceed.”

Despite his loss, Hammond remains firm in his stance on the integrity of the election process, asserting that any declaration made under questionable circumstances cannot be considered valid. 

“If after the recount they represent what are on the pink sheets, then of course, yes, you’ve got to accept it, isn’t it? Don’t declare an illegality; that’s no declaration at all,” he added. 

“You may have declared it at this level. You would have declared that ABCD but if I’m entitled to AB and you don’t allow me, you are depriving me of my right.”

Asaase Broadcasting Company airs on Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra).
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale).
Listen online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn.
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3.
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra.
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand

The post I’m entitled to a recount by law, says KT Hammond appeared first on Asaase Radio.