The Electoral Commission (EC) has regretted not being able to provide the electorate with the final presidential results of the 2020 polls within 24 hours as it had earlier assured.
It says the development was a result of rain and other monumental challenges that hindered processes at some collation centres in parts of the country.
The Commission promised to declare the results on Tuesday, a day after polls closed nationwide.
Addressing the media, however, Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa disclosed that its original plan hit a snag due to circumstances beyond her outfit’s control.
“We express our regret for our inability to declare the results at 5 pm on Tuesday as planned. The unexpected rains and some of the challenges we experienced at the collation centre made it difficult to declare the result as expected”, she explained.
But madam Mensa has assured Ghanaians it is “hoping that, in the early hours of today [Wednesday, December 9, 2020], we will receive two additional results and will thereafter be able to make the declaration today”, she added.
Meanwhile, the electoral management body has received results from 14 out of the 16 regions, from this year’s general elections.
Out of the number received, results of seven regions have officially been certified.
Mrs. Jean Mensa, at the midnight media briefing, was hopeful her outfit is looking forward to receiving the results from the two other regions before the final declaration of the presidential results.
“As we speak, the Commission has received 14 out of the 16 regional results. We have the national collation centre where we have had representatives of the various political parties since yesterday. As the results come in, the party representatives review them against what they themselves have received from the regions and once they are satisfied that the results that have come to us from the regions are a true reflection of what they have received, they then append their signatures to it before the results are brought to my attention. As Returning Officer of the 2020 presidential election, I then certify these results. Out of the 14 results received, we have certified seven up to date”, she noted.
