The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced its readiness to conduct the Council of State Elections nationwide on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
The election of regional representatives to the Council of State will be held in all regional capitals, commencing at 0700 hours and closing at 1700 hours at the regional coordination councils.
Mr. Fred Tetteh, the Deputy Director of Research at the EC, told the Ghana News Agency on Monday that all election materials and logistics have been successfully deployed.
A total of 154 aspirants, comprising 144 men and 10 women, are contesting for positions across the 16 regions.
Regarding the Electoral College, Mr. Tetteh stated that 522 voters, comprising two representatives from each district within the region nominated by the district assemblies, constitute the electoral college and are expected to participate in the elections. Each region will have a single voting center.
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He also clarified that although elections are scheduled to close at 1700 hours, the Commission has issued an “administrative directive” allowing its regional officers to close polls earlier if all registered voters have cast their ballots. The winners will be declared at the voting centers following the close of polls.
Case Of Gender Disparity
Moreover, out of the 155 individuals who collected nomination forms, only 10 are women, highlighting a significant gender disparity in the electoral process.
Data from the Electoral Commission indicates that no women expressed interest in contesting the elections in the Greater Accra, Volta, Western North, Bono East, Oti, Upper West, Savannah, Northern, North East, and Upper East regions. The Eastern Region has the highest number of female aspirants (three), followed by the Western and Ashanti regions (two each). The Central, Ahafo, and Bono regions each have one female candidate.
Furthermore, the 30-member Council of State serves as an advisory body to the President, Ministers of State, Parliament, and other public agencies, tasked with ensuring responsible and accountable governance.
