Lawyer and Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has alleged that officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) are afraid to take the right decisions in the Ablekuma North parliamentary election dispute for fear of losing their jobs under the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr Bentil claimed that the EC’s decision to abandon its earlier plan to declare results, after stating it only required security protection, may have been influenced by political pressure.
He suggested that the commissioners are more concerned about job security than upholding the integrity of the electoral process, adding that, regardless of what they do, the NDC will remove them from office.
“They (EC Commissioners) want to avoid what Asiedu Nketia (NDC National Chairman) has said openly, that he believes they must be removed. Let me tell you, whether you boil it or fry it, the NDC will remove you, and in this particular case, you will not have anybody helping you.”
His comments come in the wake of the EC’s controversial decision to re-run the 2024 parliamentary election in 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North, a move that has been widely criticised by opposition figures and civil society groups.
The background to the electoral dispute dates back to December 2024, when chaotic scenes marred the collation of results. Supporters of the two main political parties, NPP and NDC, reportedly clashed at the constituency collation centre, resulting in the destruction of electoral materials and halting the counting process.
Source: Myjoyonline
