Patrick Yaw Boamah Declared Winner of Okaikwei Central Parliamentary Election

The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially declared Patrick Yaw Boamah of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Okaikwei Central constituency in the Greater Accra region.

The announcement comes after the EC completed the collation of results from 31 outstanding polling stations, as directed by the High Court.

Patrick Yaw Boamah secured a total of 21,099 votes to defeat Abdulai Abu Baba Saddiq of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who garnered 19,368 votes.

The EC’s declaration follows a High Court ruling on Saturday, January 4, 2025, in favour of the NPP. The party had filed a legal challenge, arguing that the initial collation process was incomplete and that the EC’s failure to include results from all polling stations was a breach of its mandate.

Justice Forson Agyapong, who presided over the case, issued an order of mandamus compelling the EC to finalise the collation. In his ruling, Justice Agyapong stated that the EC’s actions had denied the constituency accurate representation.

“It is the duty of the Electoral Commission to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process,” he emphasised.

In compliance with the court’s directive, the EC resumed and concluded the collation of the outstanding polling station results on Sunday, January 5, 2025. The final results were announced shortly after, confirming Patrick Yaw Boamah’s victory.

Okaikwei Central is one of four constituencies that faced legal disputes over election results. The other three constituencies—Ablekuma North, Techiman South, and Tema Central—also had rulings favouring the NPP. These rulings have bolstered the party’s position in Parliament, with just two days remaining before the swearing-in of newly elected MPs.

The National Democratic Congress has expressed dissatisfaction with the High Court’s rulings and has announced plans to appeal. Abdulai Abu Baba Saddiq, the NDC candidate, described the process as “flawed” and accused the EC of bias. “We will not relent in seeking justice for the people of Okaikwei Central,” he stated.

The outcome of the Okaikwei Central election underscores the contentious nature of Ghana’s 2024 general elections. With multiple court cases and appeals pending, the political landscape remains tense. Observers have called for electoral reforms to prevent similar disputes in future elections