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In a dramatic turn of events, the Electoral Commission (EC) has officially declared Faustina Elikplim Akurugu of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Dome Kwabenya constituency in the Greater Accra Region.
The announcement comes after a two-week dispute over the December 7 election results, which had previously been declared null and void.
The Dome Kwabenya constituency, traditionally an electoral stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), became the epicentre of contention after disputed results from a single polling station threatened to alter the outcome.
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Initially, the EC had proposed a rerun at the contentious polling station, citing inconsistencies in the results. However, in a surprising reversal during a press conference on Tuesday, December 31, the EC stated that a rerun was no longer necessary.
The EC explained that its investigations and a thorough reconciliation of data confirmed the accuracy of the results recorded on election day. The controversial polling station’s results had been erroneously recorded on a training sheet for the presidential election. Upon review, the data tallied with records from all parties, affirming the final results.
The declaration cemented Faustina Akurugu’s victory with 50,967 votes against the NPP’s Mike Oquaye Jr., who garnered 50,669 votes. This narrow margin of just 298 votes secured the seat for the NDC and marked a significant win in an NPP-dominated constituency.
Notably absent from the declaration event were representatives of the New Patriotic Party, who had vigorously contested the EC’s initial handling of the disputed results. The absence underscores lingering tensions between the two major parties over the outcome.
The EC’s decision to forego a rerun underscores the commission’s confidence in the integrity of its investigations and the accuracy of the revised results. This move also brings closure to one of the most fiercely contested parliamentary races in the December 7 elections.
