The Director of Elections for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has provided six reasons, why the 2024 voter register, needs an audit, and among the observations made on the voter register, include 243,540, previously transferred voters illegally added to 2024 Transfers.
Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, also mentioned the Manipulation of the system, the Vulnerability of the system, delays in providing the Provisional Register, the impact of the mistakes, historical Comparisons and Timeline for Corrections on the Elections and repetition of illegally transferred names.
But the Electoral Commission (EC) and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) reject Dr Omane-Boamah’s demand, with the NPPs Director of Elections, Evans Nimako, saying that the opposition NDC, stance regarding the credibility of the voter register, proves that the party is not ready for the upcoming polls.
15,000+ Unidentifiable voter transfer paths (due to fake registration of voters???). Where were they originally registered?
3,957 voters in 2023 registered, but were deleted from the 2024 Provisional Register Due to Transfer.
2,094 voters transferred to different polling stations, but were not found in the Absent Voter List as required by Law.
The EC had rejected the NDC request for a forensic audit of the voters’ register.
The denial was disclosed by Dr Omane Boamah, following an emergency meeting with the EC in Accra last Friday.
The meeting was convened by the NDC, after the party identified what it described as widespread discrepancies in the register during the recent exhibition exercise.
In a statement to journalists, Dr Boamah commented, “We believe that the same entity that created the problem, should not be the one to resolve it. This is why we have referral systems in the healthcare sector.”
“The EC must agree if the EC has nothing to hide and we don’t want to believe they have anything to hide. The EC must agree to an independent body to audit this. It has happened before. And let me speak on authority that the UNDP is ready and willing to provide the support only if the electoral commission will write to request for this support.”
“This is not the first time I have suggested this at IPAC, about two months ago, I suggested this, and the electoral commission will not budge. Look, development partners are interested in chipping in here and there for such an audit to take place.
“It is obvious, abundantly obvious, that the NDC has the capacity to assist. And we are saying that you can bring experts from the various political parties.”
“…They have not accepted the independent forensic audit, expectedly. It’s not all doctors who readily refer. It’s not all workers who readily when issues are above them, refer. Some of them wait until bridges collapse. Some of them wait until patients are even on the verge of dying before they push them.
“You would have loved that the electoral commission accepted this. Unfortunately, the Electoral Commission did not. However, it doesn’t take away the fact that a forensic audit is what it will take to assure Ghanaians because we have listed these problems,” stated.
According to the Director of Elections for the NPP, Evans Nimako, the NDC’s demand for a forensic audit of the register was merely an excuse to cover their unpreparedness for the elections.
Speaking to Joy FM on Friday on September 6, Mr Nimako, argued that in their opinion, the register was credible and could be used to carry out free and fair elections.
“The revised strategy of the NDC will not work for them. They will not set the agenda. Let me ask, what numbers are they talking about that their issue was in this provisional register, which warrants a forensic audit before going into an election?
“You know what this tells me? The NDC is not ready for the elections ahead,” he said.
Mr Nimako, argued that the party’s demand for a forensic audit was insufficient.
His comments come on the back of concerns raised by the NDC, regarding the voter register exhibition, alleging that it had been tampered with.
According to them, the voter register is riddled with irregularities and flaws, which the Electoral Commission (EC) has already admitted.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, September 3, the Minority Leader, asserted that the NDC cannot vouch for the integrity of the voter register and suggested a forensic audit.
However, after an IPAC meeting, the EC, rejected the call for an independent audit.
According to the Director of Elections and IT for the party, the EC, appears unwilling to open its books to scrutiny by anyone, and they are therefore not surprised by the Commission’s stance.
Below is Dr Omane Boamah’s reasons outlined in a write-up shared via social media.
OUR DEMAND FOR FORENSIC AUDIT based on Key Observations from ONGOING Comparative Analysis of the 2020, 2023 & 2024 Voter Registers.
We had an engaging encounter with the Electoral Commission yesterday about the unfit-for-purpose voters register in a patriotic attempt to heal the register immediately through forensic audit.
THE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE REGISTER SO FAR
243,540 Previous Transfers illegally added to 2024 Transfers, including Repetition of illegally Transferred names.
15,000+ Unidentifiable voter transfer paths (due to fake registration of voters???). Where were they originally registered?
3,957 voters in 2023 register but deleted from 2024 Provisional Register Due to Teansfer
2,094 voters transferred to different polling stations but not found in Absent Voter List as required by Law.
Corrupt files not showing names and photos of the registered voters (what if this happens on election day?).
NB: The above Observations only constitute the tip of an iceberg! The giant rotten meat is underneath the sea. Thus, we have deliberately not been tempted to disclose why such massive derangement can afflict the voters’ register. But to technical minds, the answer is obvious! This being the case, we’re approaching this engagement with the Electoral Commission with tact…
WHY FORENSIC AUDIT?
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We believe a forensic audit will answer the following questions:
1. The Extent of Manipulation: How widespread is the issue of illegal voter transfers? If the Pusiga EC Office could transfer voters from Tamale South Constituency without proper authorization, what is the scale of similar incidents across the country? How many voters might have been affected, and how can this be accurately quantified?
2. System Vulnerabilities: What specific vulnerabilities in the Electoral Commission’s systems – Human and Technical – allowed for these unauthorized transfers? Are there specific protocols or security measures that were bypassed or ignored? Specifically, will the EC’s attempts to address these weaknesses prevent further manipulations ahead of the December 07, elections? If yes, what prevented the EC from not instituting such measures?
3. Timeliness of Provisional Register: Why was there such an avoidable delay in providing the Provisional Voters Register to the NDC?
4. Impact of the Mistakes on the Elections: What is the potential impact of the admitted mistakes and errors by the Electoral Commission on the fairness of the upcoming elections? Will the mistakes compromise the integrity of the election results?
5. Historical Comparisons: The EC generalized its mistake by referencing errors made by past Commissions. How does this comparison help address the current concerns, and what lessons have been learned from previous errors to prevent similar issues in the future?
6. Timeline for Corrections: What is the timeline for addressing these issues in order to derive a reliable, credible, accurate and fit-for-purpose voter register before printing of the registers, and other materials to commence as originally planned and agreed at IPAC?
Answering these questions through an independent forensic audit are essential for safeguarding the credibility of Ghana’s electoral process and ensuring that the upcoming elections reflect the true will of the suffering people of Ghana.
Addressing these questions thoroughly and transparently will be crucial for maintaining public trust in the democratic process. It will also restore public confidence in the voter register and the overall electoral process.
And will assure voters who may feel disenfranchised that their information is accurate and that the election will be free, fair, and transparent.
For the many legitimate voters out there who may feel disenfranchised, we also request for a 5-day RE-EXHIBITION of the register after the forensic audit to enable them verify the accuracy and integrity of the voter register before the General election.
We urge the Electoral Commission to immediately convene an emergency meeting with all political parties, Civil Society Organisations, Diplomatic Community, (ECOWAS, AU, UNDP, EU, USAID, DANIDA, The British High Commission among others) to discuss these issues and proceed to conduct the forensic audit of the registers.
Ultimately, the credibility of Ghana’s democratic process hinges on the integrity of its electoral institutions.
We ask the Electoral Commission to uphold the highest standards of fairness, neutrality, and transparency in the upcoming 2024 elections.
In conclusion, let me assure the Commission that our criticisms are not aimed at undermining the Electoral Commission; but rather at ensuring accountability and the integrity of Ghana’s democracy.
