False! Jean Mensah is not the first to declare election results in 48 hours

Claim: The Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson, Jean Mensa, has stated that the EC under her leadership had declared presidential elections within 48 hours declaring that it was a record under the Fourth Republic. 

Verdict: False 

“By convention, we have been able to declare results within 72 hours after the polls. The Commission, however, broke that record in 2020 and was able to declare the results in 48 hours,” Jean Mensa, the EC Chairperson said at a press briefing on December 8, 2024. 

Explanation: Former Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, declared the results of the 2016 general elections on December 09, 2024. 2016. This was within the 48 to 72 hours deadline the Commission gave itself to declare the results of the December 7, 2016 election. 

During the 2020 polls, the EC headed by Jean Mensah declared the final results of the election on December 09, 2024. There is, therefore, no record broken in 2020 since the chairperson in 2020 also declared results of the elections within 48 hours.