The Elections Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has ordered a re-run of the Ashanti Region Chairperson elections following the discovery of significant irregularities during the June 30, 2025, polls.
In a decision released on Thursday, July 24, 2025, the committee stated that after a careful review of the petition challenging the election outcome and thorough consideration of the evidence and arguments from all parties involved, it had concluded that a re-run was necessary to protect the integrity and fairness of the electoral process.
“Our decision is informed by critical irregularities that took place prior to and during the elections. This includes the failure to adhere to some GJA constitutional provisions, culminating in the generation of a supplementary list on the day of elections, with the eligibility of some members on the supplementary list being challenged.”
One of the major concerns cited was that a voter registered in the Greater Accra Region was nonetheless allowed to cast a ballot in the Ashanti Region.
With the election being decided by just one vote, the committee said the irregularities could have significantly impacted the outcome.
In light of these infractions, we have concluded that re-running the elections is the most reasonable, fair, and just course of action to restore the confidence of the members and ensure that the electoral process reflects the true will of the members. “
New Directives for the Re-run
The EDAC has directed that the Ashanti Region Chairperson elections be re-run within fourteen (14) working days from the date of the announcement. It issued the following guidelines to govern the re-run:
1. The GJA Elections Committee shall publish a full list of eligible voters in the dailies, and copies of the list shall be provided to all contestants at least 3 clear working days before the elections.
2. No supplementary list shall be created.
“We urge all members to take keen interest in the implementation of these directives to ensure that the re-run elections are conducted with the utmost integrity,” the statement urged.
Background
The decision comes after the EDAC earlier requested the postponement of the swearing-in of Ashanti Region executives following a petition challenging the regional election results.
In a statement dated July 9, the committee confirmed it had received a petition contesting the outcome of the election for the position of Ashanti Region Chairperson. The EDAC noted that the petition met all constitutional requirements for further investigation.
With this ruling, the Ashanti Region will head back to the polls, as the GJA seeks to safeguard the credibility of its internal democratic processes.