In Greek mythology, Atlas was forced by Zeus to carry the world upon his shoulders. It was his punishment for Atlas and Menoetius siding with the Titan In their war against the Olympians. In the 16th century, Gerardus Mercator put together his first collection of maps and dedicated it to Atlas:
“Atlas sivecosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati”. In psychology, Atlas is used as a metaphor to describe the “personality of someone whose childhood was characterized by excessive responsibilities”. Atlantic Ocean derives its name from Atlas.
Is the Electoral Commission holding Ghana on its shoulders? Or, to put it another way, say the Electoral Commission has a herculean task to perform. A herculean task is a difficult task. In Greek mythology, Hercules was the son of Zeus (the King of the gods) and Alkmene, a mortal woman.
The Romans adopted Hercules from Heracles. He was a multifaceted personality with contradictory characteristics. He was a champion of the weak as well as a great protector. Hercules was able to untie the ‘knot’ (known as the knot of Hercules). Apollodius, the mythographer, quotes 12 labours that Hercules had to perform, the first being the slaying of the Nemean lion and the last, capturing and bringing back Cerberus. Enough of the mythologies.
The ballot for the presidential slot for the presidential candidates was held last week (NPP’s presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was placed first (Number 1) and the NDC’s presidential candidate, John Mahama was placed eight (Number 8). At the end of the ballot the table showed:
1. Mahamudu Bawumia (NPP) 2. Daniel Augustus Lartey (GCPP) 3. Akua Donkor (GFP), 4. Christian Kwabena Andrews (GUM), 5. Kofi Akpaloo (LPG). 6. Mohammed Frimpong (NDP) 7. Nana Akosua FrimpomaaKumankuma (CPP); 8. John Dramani Mahama (NDC), 9. Hassan Ayariga (APC); 10. Kofi Koranteng (Independent); 11. George Twum Barima – Adu (Independent) 12. Nana Kwame Bediako (Independent) 13. Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen.
To put it mildly, we would say, there was “drama” and ended with the EC changing the transparent glass bowl in which the balls had been placed for a green opaque plastic bag. Plastic bag! Goodness and mercy! Well, the ‘gurus’ were there and they did not complain: Mac Manu, a veteran of elections and Evans Nimako for the NPP; Dr.Omane-Boamah and Fiifi Kwetey for the NDC, Dr.Omane Boamah dismissed the allegation of swap of balls between NPP Evans Nimako and LPG Akpaloo.
We recall the 1992 presidential election in which NPP presidential candidates, Professor AduBoahen got the Number 1 slot while the NDC’s presidential candidate, Fl. Lt. J. J. Rawlings got Number 4 slot
At the end of the election, J. J. Rawlings won with 58% of the votes with AduBoahen, second with 38.29%. Voter turnout was 50% it was ‘’eshiee, eshiee, eshiee, eshiewrado, wrado,’’ for the NPP and ‘’eheedzobodoo’’ for the NDC. In the 2000 election, Kufuor was the last on the ballot and the campaign was “asieho aa” and “Ewuradekasa”?
It was ‘’ Arise, arise for Ghana (NDC). Opposition NPP accused Rawlings’s NDC of ‘’massive fraud “(ballot stuffing in opaque ballot boxes) and altering results after they had been certified. This led to the writing of the ‘’Stolen Verdict’’ which highlighted serious allegations of election malpractices, finally compelling the NPP to boycott the parliamentary elections which were held separately later.
At the last ballot (for 2024 election) 10 of the contestants were disqualified for one reason or another and Bernard Mornah is in court. In Kumasi, the NPP has taken the EC to court over ‘’transfer’’ of voters and the court has ruled against the illegal transfer of 1000 voters in Manhyia South constituency.
Her Worship Deborah Gyaawa Donkor ordered the Electoral Commission to revert the affected voters to their original constituencies. Lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah (NPP Parliamentary candidate for Manhyia South) raised the alarm bell for the illegality, allegedly orchestrated by the NDC.
The NDC is demanding a forensic audit of the electoral register. The feurs start from the appointment of “dyed-in-the wool foot soldiers” like Dr. Peter Appiahene. The EC is dragging its feet on this and Samson Lardy Ayenini says “the EC thrives on public trust”. Samson stresses “Elections are about the voters not the EC”.
He asks “What does the EC lose in granting a request that could improve its own credibility badly affected by certain appointments that got civil society demanding a reversal of the decision of the President’’ Of course, there are a whole lot of people asking “does the EC have anything to hide?”
In “Enough is Enough” demo last week, the NDC charges: there are corrupt files that do not show names and photos of registered voters; 2,094 voters transferred to different polling stations but not deleted from 2024 Provisional Register due to transfer, 15,000 plus unidentifiable voter transfer paths (due to false registration of voters, leaving the question where they were originally registered unanswered); 243,540 previous transfers illegally added to 2024 transfers, including repetition of illegal transferred names.
The demo was replicated in all parts of the country. In Accra, a petition was handed over to the Electoral Commission reading; “Petition from the Good Peace-loving People of Ghana to the Electoral Commission for an urgent Forensic Audit of the 2024 Electoral Register and its Information Technology (IT) System.”
In conclusion the NDC says; “we trust that this petition will receive the attention it deserves to preserve the credibility and integrity of Ghana’s democratic process…..” And NPP will not leave the EC to answer the charges since they concede that an EC official at Pusiga district Electoral Office had illegally transferred voters there to another station.
Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the African Union’s High Representative for Silencing the Guns (AUHRSG) has made an appeal to President Nana Akufo-Addo to “take all necessary measures to prevent violence and bloodshed during the upcoming Elections”.
Dr. Ibn Chambas recalled the tragic loss of lives during the 2020 elections and described it as “a regrettable stain on Ghana’s impressive history of peaceful electoral processes”, adding that “…it should not be under your watch…that Ghana will experience violence and mayhem.” He also called on the security agencies to maintain their neutrality, and stressed that the “use of lethal weapons is totally uncalled for”.
He finally stressed that ensuring a credible election is a collective responsibility. The young men now running NPP should not fall into the category of “babies with sharp teeth”, an NDC sobriquet.
In the case of Akpaloo v Electoral Commission (2001-2002) SCGLR 1, the Supreme Court held: “…the court should and would protect the right to vote at all costs as it has previously protected the right to register otherwise, democracy in this country would be undermined”.
And in Abu Ramad and Nimako v Electoral Commission, (2013-2014) 2 SCGLR, the Supreme Court held that “every citizen of Ghana who is eighteen years and above and of sound mind has the right to vote (Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution) and a meaningful actualization of the Article 42 rights would require, inter alia, that the first defendant Electoral Commission establish credible and reliable structures, systems, processes and procedures from translating the constitutionally guaranteed rights into reality… ”
Would we want Atuguba, the retired Supreme Court judge to “educate” us again on our constitutional rights?
