The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has justified its decision to re-collate election results in nine constituencies after their initial declaration, emphasizing that the practice is not unprecedented in the country’s electoral history.

In a statement shared on social media, the EC cited past instances where re-collation had led to changes in declared outcomes, underscoring the need for accuracy and fairness in the electoral process.

“Re-collation after the declaration of results is not new. It has happened before,” the EC asserted, providing examples from previous elections:

1. 1998: During district-level elections in the Dompose Kokwaado Electoral Area in the KEEA District, the EC, under the leadership of Dr. Afari Gyan, overturned an earlier declaration and declared the correct candidate as the winner.

2. 2004: Under Dr Afari Gyan, the EC re-collated parliamentary results in the Pru Constituency, overturning the initial declaration in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, who was subsequently declared the winner over the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate.

3. 2004: The Tolon Constituency results were re-collated, and the correct candidate was declared the winner.

4. 2004: Re-collation also took place in the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency, leading to the declaration of the rightful winner.

5. 2004: Similarly, in the Zabzugu Constituency, a re-collation resulted in the correct candidate being declared as the winner.

The EC’s decision to re-collate results for the nine constituencies has sparked public debate, with critics questioning the timing and potential impact of the move.

However, the Commission insists that its actions are consistent with its mandate to ensure free, fair, and credible elections.

It emphasized that re-collation is a corrective measure to address discrepancies and ensure the declared results accurately reflect the will of the people.