The Electoral Commission (EC) has called on former President John Dramani Mahama to facilitate discussions between the EC and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to address concerns over discrepancies in the provisional voters register that the NDC has flagged.
In a press conference held in Accra on Thursday, September 12, 2024, Mr. Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman of Operations, directly appealed to Mahama:
“The EC believes that resolving the issues with the 2024 Voters Register is best done through dialogue rather than demonstrations. Protests will only exacerbate tensions and distrust without ensuring a credible register.
“We urge former President Mahama, a respected statesman, to encourage his party to engage in discussions. This is the most effective way to resolve concerns and verify the accuracy of the Voters Register.
“We are hopeful that President Mahama will respond positively and facilitate a meeting. We assure the NDC of our commitment to a transparent process that will address all their concerns.”
The appeal comes as the NDC has not provided the EC with evidence of the discrepancies they claim to have identified in the provisional voters register. Despite promises to share this information following a meeting on September 6, 2024, the EC has not received the required documents despite repeated requests.
The NDC had raised five issues with the EC during the September 6 meeting and later announced a nationwide demonstration set for September 17, citing the EC’s refusal to conduct a forensic audit of the register as the reason.
Mr. Tettey noted: “The EC requested the NDC to provide details of the discrepancies identified, but we have yet to receive this information despite numerous attempts to follow up.”
The EC also refuted NDC claims of 50,000 ghost names being added to the register. The Commission acknowledged that some deceased individuals might be on the register and emphasized that the Exhibition Exercise allows for the removal of such names. The NDC’s claim about the 50,000 deceased persons has not been substantiated with a list, according to the EC.
The EC reaffirmed its dedication to delivering a reliable and credible voters register for the December 2024 general elections:
“We are committed to ensuring a robust and trustworthy Voters Register that will support a free, fair, and transparent election process.”
