Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana Ransford Yaw Gyampo has taken on the Director of Electoral Services of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) over the lapses in declaring the results of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primaries last Saturday.
Prof Gyampo is concerned the “sudden plague of mathematical challenges” with the Commission in declaring results does not augur well for the country.
This follows the error on the part of Dr Serebour Quaicoe in initially announcing that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s votes were 91 percent instead of 61.47 percent.
Results of the other aspirants were not also immediately computated.
The error rekindled the matter of changes made by the Commission in the presidential results of the 2020 elections at least five times after declaration, despite all giving Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo a win over John Dramani Mahama.
But Prof Gyampo is concerned about the challenges.
“I still do not understand the causes of the mathematical mistakes of the Electoral Commission in declaring results,” he wrote on Sunday, November 5.
“Can’t the EC be accurate in the declaration of results?” he quizzed.
“The last time in 2020, they corrected themselves more than 5 times in declaring the election results.
“Yesterday too, they announced 91% instead of 61%. They could also not do a simple computation of percentages of votes for the rest of the candidates. This is unprecedented.”
He took on the EC’s Director of Electoral Services for doing a bad job on stage at the Accra Sports Stadium.
“Yesterday, the whole announcement of the results of the NPP flag bearer elections by the Electoral Commission, was poorly and shoddily done by Dr. Serebour Quiacoo.
“He couldn’t even do a simple computation and announcement of all the percentages for the candidates.”
Prof Gyampo admonished the EC to “be clear in telling all about the percentage of votes garnered by all aspirants”.
“This cannot be left to individual computations.”
He wants institutions to go beyond individuals in discharging their duties.
“Can’t institutions work to perfect themselves over time? Why should the mere presence of very mortal party human beings make the EC Director of Elections shiver to the point of making mistakes?
“Institutions must transcend individuals!”