A fire broke out early this morning at the Kwashieman Cluster of Schools in Accra, destroying several ballot boxes from the disputed Ablekuma North constituency. The blaze began around 1:40 a.m. in the school’s library, which had been temporarily converted into a storage area for ballot materials following the December 7 general elections.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing thick smoke and flames engulfing the building shortly after the fire started. The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded promptly, containing the fire and preventing it from spreading to other parts of the school. Alex King Nartey, the GNFS Public Relations Officer, confirmed that the affected building was being used to store ballot boxes related to the disputed Ablekuma North constituency.
The Ablekuma North parliamentary race has been highly contested. The Electoral Commission (EC) initially declared the seat for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, but later reversed its decision, calling the declaration illegal. A re-collation exercise was planned to resolve the dispute.
In response to the fire, the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the GNFS, has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze and assess the extent of the damage.
The destruction of these ballot boxes adds complexity to the ongoing electoral dispute in the Ablekuma North constituency. Authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigations proceed.
For a visual report on the incident, you can watch the following video:
