The High Court has moved to Thursday, 22 September 2025, for the hotly contested election petition that accuses Jean Mensa’s Electoral Commission (EC) of giving the Suhum constituency a “raw deal” in the 2024 parliamentary polls.
The case—originally fixed for 16 September—pits independent candidate and former MP Kwadjo Asante against the EC and New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP Frank Asiedu Bekoe.
“What’s Sauce for the Goose…”
Asante argues that the EC applied one rule for Suhum and another for everyone else. While the Commission ordered reruns in Ablekuma North and re-collation in Tema Central and Okaikoi North over relatively minor infractions, it certified Suhum’s results despite near-identical problems.
“What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,” the petition insists, branding the EC’s decision “a blatant betrayal of voters’ rights.”
Core Grievances
The petition, filed against Bekoe, the EC, its Suhum office and the Clerk of Parliament, lists serious irregularities:
• Faulty Pink Sheets: Thirty-seven of Suhum’s 166 polling stations showed multiple or missing BVD numbers; five pink sheets lacked BVD numbers altogether; three bore no presiding officer’s signature; and 14 contained figures that conflicted with biometric data.
• Uncounted Ballots: Results from six polling stations—with a combined voter population of 3,381—were excluded from the final tally. Based on a national turnout of roughly 60 per cent, the petition estimates about 2,000 votes were ignored, more than the margin between the top contenders (Bekoe 16,855; Prince Addo Tabiri 15,259; Asante 14,860).
• Chaotic Collation: A brawl at the Suhum constituency centre halted counting; a second attempt at Koforidua Secondary Technical School also failed, after which the EC shifted the process to Accra and declared Bekoe the winner on 12 December 2024.
Legal Demands
Citing breaches of Regulations 39 and 43 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I. 127), Asante seeks far-reaching remedies:
• A declaration that irregularities in 66 polling stations “reasonably affected the results.”
• An order setting aside the 12 December declaration and rerunning polls in the affected stations, or the entire constituency.
• Alternatively, a scrutiny and re-collation of the disputed polling station results.
• Interlocutory and perpetual injunctions restraining Bekoe from being sworn in or holding himself out as MP until judgment is delivered.
EC on the Spot
The EC has not commented directly on the petition, but a spokesperson earlier maintained that decisions in contested constituencies are made “based on the specific facts before our returning officers.”
Election-law analyst Ama Nyarko says the case goes to the heart of Ghana’s democratic credibility.
“If the court finds the EC applied inconsistent standards, it raises serious questions about procedural fairness and the uniform application of election law,” she told reporters.
With the new 22 September hearing date set, Suhum voters—and political strategists nationwide—will be watching closely. A ruling in Asante’s favour could force a rerun, potentially reshaping Parliament and testing the EC’s pledge of consistent, transparent election administration.
Source:thehawknewspaper.com
