NPP PCs never asked for re-collation: They demanded collation and declaration – Gary Nimako Marfo

The six New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates (PCs) in the 2024 general elections urged the high court to compel the Electoral Commission to collate the results and declare the winners of the parliamentary election in their various constituencies.

Lawyer for the PCs, Gary Nimako Marfo, in an interview with Asaase News, clarified that he is surprised that a section of the media and even some lawyers are claiming that the processes that have subsequently taken place after his application and the ruling of the court amounted to a re-collation.

Mr Nimako Marfo emphasised that a careful look at the application he filed in court and the ruling of the court will show that his clients went to court seeking collation of the results and the declaration of same.

He further noted that collation was never complete in view of the distraction that was caused by thugs in the various collation centres. To this end, there was the need for collation to be completed so that the eventiual winners in the various constituenies could be decalred by the EC, hence, the need for the Madamus application for the court to compel the EC to act accordingly.

 Background

The NPP PCs filed an application for judicial review in the nature of a Mandamus in which they sought an order of the High Court to compel the Electoral Commission (EC) to collate and declare the parliamentary election results in the constituencies where they contested without further delay.

The NPP parliamentary candidate filed the application through their lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo, in separate applications. They are Charles Forson, parliamentary candidate for Tema Central, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Patrick Yaw Boamah, Okaikwei Central, Martin Kweku Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Techiman South, Nana Akua Owusu Afriye, Ablekuma North and Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, Ahafo Ano North.

The six parliamentary candidates have essentially sought two orders from the general jurisdiction High Court. First was “an order of mandamus directed at the Electoral Commission (EC) (Respondent) compelling it to collate and declare the results and winners of all the Parliamentary elections held in their constituencies on 7 December 2024 through the Returning Officers as required by law.”

Secondly, they asked the court for “an order directed at the Inspector General of Police to provide adequate and armed security presence to the Electoral Commission (Respondent) at the designated collation centre to enable it to perform its constitutional and statutory duty of conducting and supervising public elections.”

Essentially, the six parliamentary candidates contend that “in accordance with the EC’s constitutional mandate, parliamentary elections were conducted on December 7, 2024, in the 276 constituencies across the nation, including their constituencies.

“The polls were successfully conducted in all polling stations in their constituencies, and results were announced and declared in all the polling stations and forwarded to the Returning Officer. In accordance with the law, the collation of election results commenced on the evening of 7 December 2024 at the constituency collation centre.

“While collation was ongoing, some young men and thugs entered the collation center, engaging in various acts of violence and threats, which disrupted the collation process. The post-poll acts of violence by those young men and thugs in their constituencies, resulting in the disruption of the collation processes, became a matter of public concern in the country.

“The collation was suspended and rescheduled due to the chaotic environment at the collation centers. The candidates were invited to Respondent’s Regional Collation Centre on Monday, 9th December 2024, to enable the collation process to proceed, but this could not be done.

“The EC later informed the candidates to report at the Police Training School, Tesano, in Accra, to continue collating the results, but the Respondent later informed me that the collation could not continue anymore.

“On 16 December 2024, the candidates indicated that they were compelled in the circumstances to write to the EC to demand the collation and declaration of the results and winner of their respective parliamentary elections within the next 24 hours.

“Even though the demand letter was served on the EC on the same 16 December 2024 at about 10:00 am and acknowledged receipt of same, the EC has failed or refused to collate and declare the results and winner of the parliamentary elections in their constituencies.

“The applicants contend that, to date, the EC has failed to continue collating the results and declaring the winner of the parliamentary elections as required and prescribed by law.”

Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra

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 NPP PCs never asked for re-collation: They demanded collation and declaration – Gary Nimako Marfo appeared first on Asaase Radio.