National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Sampson Asaki Awingobit
The National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Sampson Asaki Awingobit, has called on the Electoral Commission (EC), led by Madam Jean Mensa, to eliminate the use of the strong room for collating presidential results in the upcoming December 7 elections.
Speaking at the official launch of Class Media Group’s (CMG) election coverage, Mr. Awingobit urged the EC to prioritise transparency by projecting real-time results on giant screens as they come in.
According to Mr. Awingobit, the use of a strong room during past elections has allowed room for suspicion and alleged manipulation in the results collation process, eroding public trust.
He advocated for an open, publicly visible system that would project incoming results, especially for the presidential race, as a more transparent alternative.
The PNC Chairman shared these views at CMG’s event at CTV in Labone, Accra, where the media group unveiled its election programming branded as the ‘Election Strong Room.’
CMG’s coverage will provide extensive, real-time updates across all platforms, including radio, television, and online, keeping Ghanaians informed throughout the election period until the EC officially declares the results.
The platforms are Class91.3FM (Accra), No.1 105.3FM (Accra), Accra100.5FM (Accra), CTV (Accra), Kumasi104.1FM (Kumasi), Adehyee99.1FM (Kumasi), Ho92.5FM (Ho), Taadi99.1FM (Takoradi), Sunyani FM (Sunyani), Dagbon FM, Tamale FM and ClassFMonline.com.
“The perception around the EC’s strong room has created a misconception of behind-the-scenes dealings,” Mr. Awingobit said, adding that a shift to publicly projected results would reinforce transparency and build confidence in the electoral process.
He added that the elimination of the strong room would avoid the contention of the results during the tense part of the processes leading up to the declaration of the winner of the polls.