The Elections Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has ordered a re-run of the Ashanti Regional Chairperson elections following serious procedural irregularities that, according to the committee, compromised the integrity and fairness of the June 30, 2025, polls.

In a statement issued today, the EDAC revealed that, after a careful review of the petition filed by a contestant and testimonies from all interested parties, it had found sufficient grounds to annul the previous results and call for a fresh vote.

The decision, the committee emphasised, aims to restore confidence in the association’s electoral process and uphold the democratic standards outlined in the GJA constitution.

The committee cited “critical irregularities” both before and during the election.

Chief among these was failure to adhere to GJA constitutional provisions and the generation of a supplementary voter list on the day of the polls, some entries of which were later challenged for lack of eligibility.

In another breach, a voter registered in the Greater Accra Region was allowed to cast her ballot in the Ashanti Region, an act deemed procedurally improper.

“The margin of victory in the disputed election was just one vote,” the Committee noted, adding that “it is a reasonable proposition that these irregularities could have significantly impacted the outcome.”

Directives for the Re-run

To prevent a recurrence of such infractions, the EDAC has issued clear directives for the conduct of the re-run elections:

1. The election must be held within fourteen working days from the date of this announcement.
2. The GJA Elections Committee is to publish a comprehensive and verified list of eligible voters in the national dailies and provide copies to all contestants at least three clear working days before the polls.
3. No supplementary voter list is to be generated under any circumstances.

The EDAC has encouraged all GJA members, particularly in the Ashanti Region, to take “keen interest” in the re-run and to help ensure that the process is conducted with “the utmost integrity”.