Jean Mensa Confirms Lossing Ablekuma North Pink Sheets, EC Orders Re-Run as NDC MP Scandal Escalates

Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), under the leadership of Jean Mensa, has disclosed that key election documents—specifically pink sheets from 62 polling stations—have gone missing in the Ablekuma North constituency. This loss has compelled the EC to annul its earlier announcement that Ewurabena Aubynn of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had won the parliamentary seat. To address the discrepancy, the Commission has proposed a re-run in the affected polling stations. However, this decision has triggered a political standoff, with the NDC alleging electoral manipulation and accusing the EC of collaborating with the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The Ghana Police Service has been tasked with overseeing security, but the process remains stalled due to claims of document forgery, violence, and opacity.

The dispute emerged when Jean Mensa admitted that the prior declaration had not considered results from the full complement of polling stations—only 219 of 281 were included. Though the EC ordered a new collation exercise, it has been fraught with disagreements. The NDC argues that the NPP introduced forged scanned pink sheets into the process, which violates election laws. Dr. Rashid Tanko Computer, who serves as the NDC’s Deputy Director of Elections and IT, accused the EC of condoning illegal practices by accepting non-original documents. He reaffirmed that only authentic or carbon-copy pink sheets are allowed under existing electoral regulations and that any scanned version is inadmissible.

The situation worsened when NDC members, reportedly led by their regional organiser, entered the EC’s regional office and disrupted the re-collation process. Property was destroyed, and the exercise was suspended. The EC blamed the police for inadequate security, while the Inspector General of Police demanded a detailed plan to complete the electoral process. The NDC has refused to accept any results based on disputed documents and insists a re-run is necessary for legitimacy. Meanwhile, the NPP, led by its candidate Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, maintains that their scanned pink sheets are valid and that they won the election. Despite the absence of an official winner, both parties have erected public billboards thanking voters in the area. Attempts to authenticate the pink sheets have hit a deadlock, as election officials have refused to validate them, citing safety concerns and discrepancies such as falsified rejected ballots. With ongoing appeals and legal complications, Ablekuma North remains without a parliamentary representative.

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