Tension In Nsawam-Adoagyiri Over Parliamentary Result

There is tension boiling in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituency of the Eastern Region following the December 7 parliamentary elections, in which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) incumbent Member of Parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, is leading by a narrow margin of 210 votes.

The results, which are yet to be completed, collated, and declared, have been stalled by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), citing irregularities and violence during the election.

The controversy began on election day when NDC supporters stormed the St. Martins Senior High School, where the Electoral Commission (EC) was collating results.

The supporters vandalized the EC’s materials, including pink sheets and laptops, and attacked Annoh-Dompreh’s vehicle.

The situation escalated into chaos, with the police and military being called in to restore order.

Despite the chaos, the EC was able to collate results from 100 out of 203 polling stations before the mayhem.

However, the results could not be declared because the process could not be completed.

Annoh-Dompreh Reaction

In reaction, Annoh-Dompreh denied allegations made by the NDC that he fired gunshots at Nsawam.

He explained that the NDC supporters were armed with knives, clutches, and missiles and that the police and military had to be called in to restore order.

The MP expressed his disappointment at the NDC’s actions, stating that the election was supposed to be a peaceful and civil process.

Koforidua & Tesano

The EC then decided to move the collation process to the regional capital in Koforidua, but the NDC supporters stormed the Koforidua SHTS to disrupt the process.

The EC further decided to transfer the collation process to Accra, Tesano Police Depot, for security reasons.

Demonstration

A day after, the supporters of NDC took to the streets of Nsawam by blocking roads and burning tires in protest of the declaration of the pending result, which they claim was in their favour.

The supporters thereafter went to the Nsawam EC office to burn tires after storming the Returning Officer House to cause his arrest and couldn’t meet him.

Court Injunction

At the Police Depot, the leadership of the NDC, during the collation of Nsawam-Adoagyiri parliamentary results, obtained a court injunction to halt the recollation of parliamentary results for the constituency.

The party’s candidate, Philibert Fummey Amenorpe, applied for an injunction to restrain the EC and Annoh-Dompreh from collating and declaring the parliamentary election results.

The NDC claims that the election was marred by irregularities, including the destruction of over 100 pink sheets from several polling stations in the constituency.

Annoh-Dompreh Challenges

In a protest, Frank Annoh-Dompreh applied to strike out a lawsuit brought by National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Amenorpe Philibert Fummey, challenging the outcome of the Nsawam-Adoagyiri parliamentary election held on December 7, 2024.

According to court documents, Annoh-Dompreh’s lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo, argued that the NDC’s lawsuit is defective and does not conform to the country’s laws governing parliamentary elections.

Specifically, Gary Marfo contended that the lawsuit was filed in the wrong form, as it was brought by way of a writ of summons and statement of claim, rather than a petition, which is the required procedure for challenging parliamentary election results.

Annoh-Dompreh’s application seeks to strike out the NDC’s lawsuit because it is “incompetent, irregular, and without jurisdiction.”

The application also argues that the NDC’s lawsuit is an attempt to “usurp the jurisdiction of the Electoral Commission” and to “interfere with the constitutional and statutory duties of the Electoral Commission.”

In addition to seeking to strike out the NDC’s lawsuit, Annoh-Dompreh’s application also requests three additional reliefs from the court.

Firstly, he is seeking an order directing the Electoral Commission to collate and declare the results of the Nsawam-Adoagyiri parliamentary election, as required by law.

Secondly, he is seeking an order directing the Inspector General of Police to provide adequate security for the Electoral Commission to enable it to perform its constitutional and statutory duties.

Finally, he is seeking any other orders that the court may deem fit.

Residents

Due to the unrest situation creating tension in the constituency, scores of the residents have called on the EC to declare Annoh-Dompreh, the winner, citing his significant contributions to the constituency.

The residents have accused the NDC of sowing discord and asserted that Annoh-Dompreh secured a clear majority in the polls.

The residents have also expressed frustration over the delay in announcing the results, stating that it is causing tension in the area.

The Bread Sellers Association and other local groups have also urged the EC to announce the rightful winner, stating that the majority of votes cast in the constituency were in favour of the NPP candidate.

EC Reaction

Meanwhile, the situation remains tense, with the outcome of the election still uncertain.

The EC’s decision on the matter will be crucial in determining the winner of the parliamentary election in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituency.

The commission, in an earlier press conference, has assured that it will work to ensure that the results are accurate and reflect the will of the people.

BY Daniel Bampoe

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