The High Court, presided over by Justice Forson Baah Agyapong, has directed the collation of results from 147 outstanding polling stations in the Techiman South Constituency, following a legal battle involving the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Electoral Commission (EC).
Delivering the judgment, Justice Agyapong stated that the applicant, Martin Adjei Mensah-Korsah, met all the legal requirements for filing a mandamus application.
The court ruled that the uncollated results from the 147 polling stations must be added to the already collated results from 135 out of 282 polling stations and declared by the returning officer as mandated by law.
The judge noted that the applicant supported his claims with video evidence, though the respondents denied its authenticity.
He added that not all polling station results had been included in the collation, warranting the court’s intervention to ensure a complete and lawful process.
Dr. Christopher Beyere Baasongti, the first interested party and NDC candidate, through his counsel Godwin Kudzo Edudzi Tamaklo, argued that the appropriate remedy should have been an election petition rather than a mandamus application.
The counsel also disputed the applicant’s claim that the EC had already declared a winner in the election.
Justice Agyapong, however, upheld the mandamus application and directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide armed security for the collation process.
This decision follows reports of threats against the life of the returning officer, further emphasizing the need for a secure environment.
The court has directed that the outstanding polling stations are to be collated before January 6, 2025.
