EC changes election results at least three times
The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has come under heavy criticism over conflicting results from the 2020 elections.
At least three official results have emerged with the EC apologising for inadvertently releasing wrong figures in relation to the presidential elections.
Of particular concern is the presidential outcome which has generated a lot of discussion in public and social media circles with the biggest opposition party rejecting the figures being churned out.
“At the end of a transparent, fair, orderly and timely and peaceful presidential election, the total number of valid votes cast was 13,434,574, representing 79 per cent of the total registered voters,” EC Chair Mrs Jean Mensa, said at a presser to announce the results on December 9. “At the end of the polls, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party obtained 6,730,413 votes, being 51.595% of the total valid votes cast. John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress obtained 6,214,889 votes being 47.366% of the total valid votes cast”.
This was computed without results from the Techiman South constituency.
However, this was different from the hard copy of the results printed and released to journalists.
The data released had 13,121,111 as total valid votes and with Akufo-Addo’s vote percentage being 51. 295.
However, a few hours later, the EC issued a press statement to correct what it said was as “inadvertent error”.
Summary of the 2020 Presidential Election results – Without Techiman South Constituency
Posted by Electoral Commission Ghana on Thursday, December 10, 2020
The new information not only presented the total valid votes cast as 13,119, 460 but significant changes to the total votes obtained.
Nana Akufo-Addo’s votes increased from 6, 730, 413 to 6, 730, 587 a difference of 174 with the percentage also rising from 51.295% to 51.302%.
The oral submission of Mrs Mensa, the first published results and the correction, therefore, presented three varying figures.
For former President Mahama, his total reduced from 6, 214, 889 to 6, 213, 182, a difference of 1,707. This resulted in a reduction of his percentage from 47.366% to 47.359%.
This has armed the opposition NDC to challenge the credibility of the results as it forms a team of lawyers to audit all the results from the polling stations.
The NDC believes the verdict should go in their favour as they claim that they also won the majority of parliamentary seats with a total of 140, four shy of what the EC has declared for them.
Founding President of think tank IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, describes alterations by the EC as “corrupt”.
“I really couldn’t believe that the EC kept changing figures on its website after admitting making basic math errors. I have now concluded that is not only incompetent, it is very corrupt!!” Mr Cudjoe tweeted.
Some people say to me, we all make mistakes so just forgive the EC and move on. I simply say to them, the EC disqualified far more respectable and hobourable men for minor infractions without the opportunity to remedy alleged impersonates on their presidential application forms..
— Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) December 12, 2020
…And yet, the innately crooked and corrupt EC should get a pass for not only altering figures once, but severally in the dead of night after declaring results. Has the EC been fair to all parties, the NPP and NDC especially?
— Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) December 12, 2020
Other social media users have also raised questions over the development.
The partisanship bias of this country will be her undoing.
We have all seen the EC consistently edit the figures, but ask any questions and NPP footsoldiers will come at you in ‘auto tune’. So now all npp folk support the EC no matter what, how? 🙄
— Nuong Faalong (@nuongfaalong) December 11, 2020
The partisanship bias of this country will be her undoing.
We have all seen the EC consistently edit the figures, but ask any questions and NPP footsoldiers will come at you in ‘auto tune’. So now all npp folk support the EC no matter what, how? 🙄
— Nuong Faalong (@nuongfaalong) December 11, 2020
The partisanship bias of this country will be her undoing.
We have all seen the EC consistently edit the figures, but ask any questions and NPP footsoldiers will come at you in ‘auto tune’. So now all npp folk support the EC no matter what, how? 🙄
— Nuong Faalong (@nuongfaalong) December 11, 2020
Dear EC,
I’ve been following your explanations on all media platforms including social media.
I’ve also taken note…
Posted by Mabel Aku Baneseh on Friday, December 11, 2020
The EC has changed the results 3 times since the announcement? 😂😂😂🤣🤣😂🤣😫😫😫😫😫
— Señor Sucʀє (@kojo_sucre) December 14, 2020
The EC has changed the results 3 times since the announcement? 😂😂😂🤣🤣😂🤣😫😫😫😫😫
— Señor Sucʀє (@kojo_sucre) December 14, 2020