Pink Sheets determine the final results - EC

The Electoral Commission has assured Stakeholders and the General Public that Pink Sheets signed by Agents of Political Parties at all the 40,650 Polling Stations across the country determine the final results. The Commission has therefore urged the Public to be patient as the Commission awaits collation of the results.

In a Press Briefing on Sunday, 8th December, 2024, the Director of Electoral Services told the media at the National Collation Centre that,

 “As you may be aware, Polls across the country closed some 15 hours ago. Per law, at the close of polls,  the ballots are counted at the polling station in the full view of the party agent, the media, observers and the public, and then documented on the pink sheets. The Pink Sheets are signed by the presiding officer and all Party Agents present at the polling station. Copies of the pink sheets are given to all Party Agents and one is also posted on the wall of each polling station. 

The pink sheets determine the final results.  As such, for this election, the pink sheets generated from the 40,650 polling stations signed by the presiding officer and party agents will determine the final results. Nothing will change!”  

EC Explains the Collation Process

The Electoral Commission has emphasised that declaration of final results is hinged on processes that are enshrined in law. In a Press Briefing on Sunday, 8th December, 2024, the Director of Electoral Services told the media at the National Collation Centre that,

“From the Polling Stations the pink sheets are sent to Constituency Collation Centre and collated at that level. The Constituency Results Summary Sheets are also signed by the Returning Officer and the Party Agents, who are given copies of this form. A copy is then posted at the Constituency Collation Centre. From there, the results are sent to the Regional Collation Centres and collated in the full view of the party agents, who then sign and receive copies. A copy is also posted at the Regional Collation Centre. It is from there that the results are sent to the National Collation Centre via fax. Once received, the results are also collated in the full view of the Party Agents, who are here with us, and a copy given to each agent present. 

The results from the National Collation Centre are also posted at the National collation centre. Once this is done, the Returning Officer for the Presidential Election, in the person of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, declares the winner of the Presidential Election.”

No results have yet been received at the National Collation Centre

The Electoral Commission has indicated that as of 8:00 am Sunday, 8th December, 2024, the Commission had not received any results at the National Collation Centre. This was disclosed by the Director of Electoral Services during a Press Briefing at the National Collation Centre. 

“For the information of the General Public, as we speak, no results have been received at the National Collation Centre. And I repeat, no results have been received at the National Collation Centre,” the Director of Electoral Services, Mr. Benjamin Bano-Bioh told the media.

According to him, the feedback from the field is that the results are trickling in to the Regional Collation Centres, hence the Commission’s inability to publish any results. 

The delay, as explained by the Commission, is mainly due to the disruption caused by supporters of the two main Political Parties whose leaders urged them to mass up at Constituency Collation Centres. Unfortunately, the country witnessed overnight attacks on several Constituency Collation Centres, staff of the Commission and destruction of election materials, including ballot boxes, ballot papers, and Biometric Verification Devices. According to the Commission, only two agents per candidate are allowed at the Constituency and Regional Collation Centres. Amassing at Collation Centres and attacking election officials are a violation of the law. The Commission charges Political Parties and their leaders to allow the staff of the Commission to perform their duties. This will ensure timely declaration of the final results.

The Commission however assures the Public that as the Commission receives the results, region by region, they will be published. 

Exercise Patience – EC Urges Citizens

The Electoral has urged the General Public and all citizens to exercise patience, and to follow the Commission’s periodic announcements as the results come in. The Commission has promised to keep updating the Public as has been done over the past 24 hours. 

The Commission also called on both permanent and temporary staff across the country, particularly at the Constituency Collation Centres, to stand firm and carry out their duties as expected of them. The Commission also urged the agents of the political parties to cooperate with the staff of the Commission to ensure the smooth collation and transmission of results at both the constituency and regional levels.

The Commission further assured the Public that whatever results that will be collated at the Constituency and Regional Collation Centres and transmitted to the National Collation Centre, is what will be collated and declared by the Returning Officer of the Presidential Election, in the person of the Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa.

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