Ablekuma North Results: EC’s Director of Training attributes delay to Presiding, Returning Officers

The Director of Training at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, has called on political parties and the public to allow the presiding officer for Ablekuma North to officially declare the winner for the parliamentary elections.

According to Dr. Quaicoe, the Electoral Commission has verified results from 278 out of 281 polling stations, with the results from three outstanding polling stations remaining unverified due to specific challenges.

Speaking exclusively to Tv3 at the launch of the Agenda for the Post-election Coalition report by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition, Dr. Quaicoe explained that one of the major issues delaying the process involves a presiding officer who has refused to appear at the collation center due to safety concerns.

“It is the returning officer who declares the results. One of the presiding officers has submitted the results but is afraid to come to the collation center due to fears for her safety after being attacked,” he stated.

The second challenge involves another presiding officer who validated results for candidates but refused to validate rejected ballots.

“Personally, we are interested in the results for the candidates, and if he has validated those, then that is a good step. However, it remains the decision of the returning officer,” Dr. Quaicoe explained.

The third issue is related to a presiding officer who has refused to validate or reject the results, requiring further clarification or a decision from the EC.

“By all means, we will go back to the collation center for the return officer to take decisions on the three polling stations. Security has been asked to provide protection, and once that is assured, we are good to go,” he assured.

The stalemate in Ablekuma North has sparked widespread speculation. Election stakeholders have urged media houses and the public to rely on official EC updates to avoid confusion.

As Ghana moves forward, experts stress the need for stronger collaboration between fact-checking organizations, media houses, and electoral bodies to combat misinformation and ensure transparency in future elections.

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By Christabel Success Treve

The post Ablekuma North Results: EC’s Director of Training attributes delay to Presiding, Returning Officers first appeared on 3News.

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