2020 elections held on December 7
Over 22,000 polling stations used in 2020 elections
Jean Mensa declared winner of 2020 polls
Exactly a year ago today, Ghanaians had lined up at the over 22,000 polling stations across the country to exercise their voting rights in the 2020 general elections.
The crucial election was highly anticipated because of the personalities at the forefront of the race: an incumbent president going up against his predecessor.
The fiercely contested race eventually came to an end and results announced a few days after, giving Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the incumbent, another four years at the presidency.
John Dramani Mahama, his closest contender, would however, later take the matter to the Supreme Court for its determination after he refused to accept the results declared by the Electoral Commissioner of Ghana, Jean Mensa.
But, on December 7, 2020, quite a number of things happened on the day beyond just people going to cast their votes.
Here are some of the major happenings of the Election Day in 2020:
Near confusion at Bole Bamboi
There was near confusion at a polling station at the Bole Bamboi constituency when one of the security guards of Mahama who had registered in the same polling stations with him had his name missing from the register leading to his inability to vote.
“One of my security guards, I registered here with him and during the exhibition, we checked his name.
“We got here today and his name is not there and so I don’t know if it is a generalized problem but it is too early to make an assessment. We are waiting to find out what the presiding officer will say.
“We hope that they can rectify this. These are some of the little things that we kept complaining about,” John Mahama told journalists.
John Dumelo ‘uneasy’ as results trickle in
One of the constituencies which was keenly contested is the Ayawaso West Wuogon where actor, politician and farmer, John Dumelo, contesting on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress, sought to capture the seat from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Lydia Alhassan.
As the results started coming in from the constituency, visuals appeared of the NDC candidate showing uneasiness as he paced up and down, unable to sit.
Muntaka uses 6-year-old daughter’s thumbprint to vote
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for the Asawase Constituency, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, sparked controversy after he held the hand of a child said to be six years old to thumbprint the presidential and parliamentary ballot papers.
The two showed the victory sign which was adopted by the opposition party as the return of John Mahama and because he was the 2nd on the ballot paper.
EC removes officers tempering with presidential ballot papers
The Electoral Commission in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service identified and removed some electoral officers suspected to have tempered with some presidential ballot papers in some polling stations in the Awutu Senya West and the Bawku Central constituencies.
There were reports that some electoral officers were cutting some candidates off the presidential papers before handing them over to voters to cast their votes.
Policeman dies while on election duties at Ahafo Region
Detective Constable Kwarteng Abebrese Nantwi of Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters Operations in Accra currently on Election Duties at Ahafo Region died after he fell sick.
Sources close to the police say that he was rushed to the Hwidiem Government Hospital but was discharged after treatment.
However, on December 7, 2020, he fell unconscious in his room and was rushed back to the same hospital for further treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Delays in voting
Ayawaso West Wuogon
Radio Univers reporters at the Abelenkpe Pentecost Church polling station said that there was a delay in the start of voting there because one of the covers of the ballot boxes had been changed.
At the Pentagon Hostel Polling Station A, as of 7:50am, logistics were yet to arrive.
Thermometer gun to check the temperature of voters were also said to not be functioning.
Asawase constituency
At the Baba Congo Polling station in the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region, voting was delayed because of the delay in the arrival of validation stamps.
Ablekuma West
It has been reported that some voters who had been queuing since the night of December 6, 2020, at the Shiabu 1 Polling Station in the Ablekuma West constituency in the Greater Accra Region so they could cast their ballots early, could not get to fulfill this desire as polling materials did not arrive on schedule.
Ngleshie Amanfro
In the Ngleshie Amanfro constituency, it was reported that the first 7 voters who cast their ballots at the New Covenant A Polling Station, used an orange ink instead of the prescribed violet that needed to be on the ballot.
The Electoral Commission officials there explained that there was a mishap in the placement of the ink in the space where voters can cast their ballots.
Fomena
Listed as one of the flashpoints for the 2020 elections, the police in Fomena arrested some bodily-built men at Akrokerri who were on board a taxi cab station near the Salvation Army Church.
No party agent for Akua Donkor
Reports said that there were no party agents for the leader of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFDP), Madam Akua Donkor, in all the polling station at the Navrongo Central Constituency in the Upper East Region.
“In all the polling stations I have visited, there are no polling agents for Akua Donkor’s party; for instance, when I went to COCOBOD polling station I noticed that the Electoral Officers were announcing for various political agents to step forward and there was no representative of Akua Donkor’s party. Same situation at Cocobod, Bonia Primary 1 and 2, Korania, Namolo 1,2,3 and 4, Basina 1,2,3, and 4. Pungu – Nimbasinia, Pungu primary polling station,” GhanaWeb’s UpperEast regional correspondent said.
Awutu Senya East
Two people were said to have been shot at the Church of Christ polling station at Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East constituency of the Central Region.
The gunshots were said to have been wrung from a black Toyota Land Cruiser.