Presidential Advisor for Governmental Affairs, Dr. Valerie Esther Sawyerr, has issued a strong public call for the Electoral Commission (EC) to order a rerun of parliamentary elections at 62 polling stations in the Ablekuma North Constituency.
She is citing serious procedural irregularities and a breakdown in electoral transparency.
In a sharply worded statement titled “The Saga of the Scanned Pink Sheets & Ablekuma North,” Dr. Sawyerr described the situation as a “diabolic drama” and criticised the EC’s reliance on scanned pink sheets allegedly provided by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), following the destruction of original carbonated result forms.
“No ground stomping, no walks from Timbuktu to Accra… will make what is wrong… right,” she wrote, calling on the EC to “order a rerun at the sixty-two (62) polling stations… and stop wasting our time.”
Background: Violence and Missing Collation Data
The controversy stems from events during the December 7–8, 2024 elections, when violence at the Ablekuma North collation centre reportedly led to the destruction of original pink sheets from 62 polling stations. According to Dr. Sawyerr, only 219 out of 281 polling stations were collated using verified carbonated forms, leaving a significant portion of the vote uncertified.
She alleges that the EC initially rejected the use of scanned pink sheets, as communicated by Director of Elections Dr. Benjamin Bannor Bio, but later reversed course after a directive from Director of Training Dr. Sereboe Quaicoe — a move she questioned as legally dubious.
“On what authority does a Director for Training overturn the decision of a Director of Elections at this stage of the electioneering process?” she asked.
Dr. Sawyerr further criticised the EC’s decision to accept 42 scanned pink sheets submitted by the NPP, noting that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) strongly opposed the move. To reinforce legitimacy, the EC reportedly summoned 17 presiding officers to validate the scanned results — yet, according to Dr. Sawyerr, several could not confirm the authenticity of the data.
She also refuted claims that both political parties had agreed to the use of scanned pink sheets, branding the EC’s version of events as a “bold-faced lie.”
In her statement, Dr. Sawyerr stressed that peace in Ablekuma North hinges on fairness and adherence to democratic principles. She accused the EC of compromising electoral integrity and called for public vigilance and institutional accountability.
“The voice of the people must be heard… Let us all tell the EC that enough is enough,” she urged.
Dr. Sawyerr concluded with an appeal for calm and justice, stating, “I am for peace… Shalom.”
