The National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday, called out the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the National Peace Council, clergy, and all concerned Ghanaians, to urge the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct an independent forensic audit of the voters’ register which it insists is not credible.
The party, claims that the register contains numerous discrepancies that could undermine the integrity of the upcoming elections, arguing that credible elections cannot be guaranteed if the voters’ register remains flawed.
The protest dubbed, ‘Enough is Enough’ was held in all the regional capitals, including Koforidua, Sunyani and others, but Kumasi and Accra almost outdid each other in terms of numbers that poured out in the streets to demand a credible voters register for the 2024 election.
The protesters presented a petition to the EC’s offices across the regions.
In Koforidua, George Opare Addo, the National Youth Organizer of the NDC, after the demonstration, and presentation of a petition by the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party to the regional EC office highlighted the urgency of this issue.
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According to Addo, this is a crucial moment for advocates of peace to press the EC for a thorough audit of the voters’ register.
“To the peace-loving Ghanaians, the chiefs of this country, the Otumfuo, and the many others who want to see a better Ghana. It is their call to duty. The Police Service, it is also your responsibility to see to it that the right things are done.
“The Peace Council, don’t let us sound like a broken record. We are asking all of you that an audit is the rightful thing to do,” he stated.
In the Ashanti Region, chaos erupted in Kumasi as police deployed teargas to disperse NDC supporters who clashed with law enforcement officers during the demonstration escalated into violence when tensions flared between the demonstrators and the police leaving one protester with injuries and had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment.
In the heat of the moment, some protesters attempted to attack a police officer who sought refuge in a nearby house.
Another officer was also injured after being assaulted by protesters.
The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has since vehemently denied reports of a shooting incident at the Kumasi office of the EC. It said no demonstrators were injured during the event.
According to a police statement issued hours after yesterday’s protest, a group of demonstrators attempted to breach the agreed-upon arrangements by forcing their way into the EC office compound, but the police intervened to restrain these individuals, ensuring the situation did not escalate further.
It has since commenced an investigation into the shooting incident in Kumasi that resulted in the injuries of some persons including an officer.
The police in its statement issued yesterday said, “The demonstration ended peacefully in all locations with the exception of an isolated incident at Kumasi in the Ashanti region. In Kumasi, contrary to the arrangements agreed between the Police and the organisers, the demonstrators attempted to push their way into the premises of the Electoral Commission and pelted the Police with stones.”
“The Police managed to bring the situation under control and calm was restored. However, one Police officer was injured during the incident and he is receiving medical attention. The Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has reached out to him via a telephone call and wished him well. The Police have since commenced investigation into the incident.”
The police thanked all stakeholders, including the organizers, the demonstrators, the Electoral Commission, the media, and the commuting public for their cooperation throughout the exercise.
“The Inspector-General of Police and the entire leadership of the Police Service would like to express their profound gratitude to all Police officers across the country for their continuous patriotic dedication and commitment to security, law and order in our beloved country,” it added.
In Accra, the NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, reaffirmed the party’s demand for a credible voters’ register ahead of the December 7 elections, emphasising that the only way to achieve this is through a forensic audit by the EC.
Addressing supporters at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, Asiedu Nketiah urged them to remain steadfast in their demands for electoral transparency, highlighting the importance of their nationwide protest across all 16 regions of Ghana.
“Our demand is simple,” he said. “We want the EC to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election and a credible register is central to that goal.”
The NDC’s nationwide demonstrations are part of their efforts to press the EC to take steps toward addressing concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
“We want nothing but transparent elections that will guarantee our right to choose our leaders. Without the right of self-determination, democracy is good as gone and every democracy at one point in time, comes under threat
Ghana’s democracy is under serious threat now and we want to prevail.
“We shall overcome because every democracy has the risk of producing a tyrant but our ability to fight that tyrant and restore democracy once again is paramount and we shall prevail.
“Elections alone do not guarantee democracy, it is democratic-minded citizens who are ready to fight for them who can guarantee democracy.”
A member of the clergy, Rev. Abraham Larbi, who took part in the protest criticised the Christian Council and the Peace Council for their silence regarding recent events in the country.
Rev. Larbi questioned the credibility of the councils noting that while the councils were vocal in their criticisms during the John Mahama administration, they have remained silent on pressing issues under the current Akufo-Addo government.
“The Christian council should bow down their heads in shame. The Peace Council has no credibility. If you criticise somebody of wrongdoing and somebody comes to practice the same thing, and you can’t talk about it, then you are not a truthful person and that is Christian council for you,” he said.
Rev. Larbi expressed his frustration, saying he could not understand why the councils have turned a blind eye to the issues happening in the country.
He added that the Christian Council and the Peace Council have failed in the execution of their mandates.
“I don’t know why they are not coming out to talk, the country does not belong to them. The Christian Council is just one of the few organisations that speaks for Christians. As for these people, especially the Christian and Peace councils, they have failed this nation,” he lamented.
