The Electoral Commission (EC) has declared the results of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Walewale parliamentary primary rerun null and void. This decision follows a significant disruption during the vote-counting process, which resulted in the destruction of a substantial number of ballot papers.
Gabriel Manu, the Electoral Commissioner for Walewale, addressed journalists on Monday, explaining the sequence of events leading to the decision. According to Manu, the electoral process had proceeded smoothly up to the sorting stage. However, as the sorting neared completion and the counting was about to commence, an unknown individual intervened, causing significant damage to the ballots.
The individual, whose actions led to the destruction of most of the ballot papers, was promptly apprehended by the police. Manu reported that while some of the damaged ballot papers were salvaged, the extent of the damage rendered many of the ballots unusable. This damage made it impossible to determine the votes accurately.
“We started, and everything went very well. We finished voting, and after the voting, we did the sorting. Just when we were about to finish the sorting and do the counting, a certain man from nowhere came in, took the ballot papers, and destroyed most of them,” Manu explained. “The police managed to arrest the person. He is right now in police custody, and we salvaged some of the ballot papers that had been damaged.”
Manu further elaborated that, after assessing the situation, it became clear that some of the ballot papers were so badly damaged that it was impossible to determine their intended candidates. Consequently, the EC decided to halt the process and leave the decision on the next steps to the party.
“…We called the two sides… After the sorting, we realized that some of the ballot papers are badly damaged in such a way that you cannot determine if they are for candidate A or B… We have to stop there for the party to take the decision… We couldn’t determine the winner today,” Manu added.
In the aftermath of the disruption, the Ghana Police Service took swift action to restore order in Walewale. The heightened security measures were implemented to ensure stability in the area and to prevent further incidents.
The arrest of Kamara Bawah, who was apprehended for his role in causing the damage, has been a focal point of the investigation. Bawah remains in police custody as the authorities continue to probe the incident and its implications.
The disruption and subsequent nullification of the election results have created uncertainty regarding the next steps for the NPP and the Walewale constituency. The party now faces the task of determining how to proceed in light of the damaged ballots and the halted electoral process.
As the situation develops, the focus will likely shift to how the NPP will address the issues raised by this incident and how future elections can be safeguarded from similar disruptions. The nullification of the results underscores the importance of maintaining electoral integrity and ensuring that such incidents do not compromise the democratic process.
