Critics of the Electoral Commission (EC), particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its allies, have sought to question not only the rationale behind the EC’s decision to re-collate the results of some nine disputed constituencies but have also argued that there is no precedent for it.

A trip down memory lane reveals that there have been several instances in our electoral history where re-collation took place after results were declared.

In 1998, under Dr Afari-Gyan, during the district-level elections in the Dompoase Kokwaado Electoral Area in the KEEA District, the EC overturned an earlier declaration and proceeded to declare the correct winner.

The Electoral Commission, under the chairmanship of Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, in 2004, re-collated and overturned parliamentary results for the Pru Constituency in the then Brong Ahafo Region. The NDC candidate was declared the winner after the re-collation, replacing the NPP candidate, who had been declared the winner earlier.

It is also important to stress that re-collation of results following the disruption of the electoral process is not foreign to our political and electoral systems.

In 2004, under Dr Afari-Gyan, the parliamentary results for the Tolon Constituency underwent a re-collation exercise, and the correct winner was declared.

In Yapei-Kusawgu, in 2004, under Dr Afari-Gyan, a re-collation exercise took place, and the correct winner was declared. A similar exercise occurred in Zabzugu during the same 2004 elections when Dr Afari-Gyan was chairman of the EC.

In light of these incontrovertible facts, the complaints from the NDC and their allies regarding why the EC has undertaken re-collation exercises are moot. They have no case at all.