The National Democratic Congress (NDC) hit the streets of Accra and other regional capitals yesterday to drum home its demand for a forensic audit of the voter register for the 2024 election.
Under the caption: “Enough Is Enough,” the opposition NDC was with one voice across the country, presenting a petition with accompanying demands to the EC.
The NDC said it considered “the grave irregularities and discrepancies uncovered in the 2024 Provisional Voters Register and the Electoral Commission’s (EC) admission of unauthorised voter transfers and errors” reason enough to embark on the demonstration and present the petition.
DEMAND
The Chronicle received a copy of the demands the NDC made to the EC, which it copied to the Parliament of Ghana. Among others, the NDC wants the EC to permit an independent forensic audit of the voter register and its IT system “to uncover the full extent of the irregularities, including unauthorised log-ins, transfers, discrepancies and data corruption.”
Also, the party demands that the EC convene a meeting with all political parties, civil society organisations and key international stakeholders (including ECOWAS, AU, UNDP, EU, USAID, the British High Commission, among others) to discuss the forensic audit and ensure collective oversight of the process.
The NDC says the EC should agree to publish the findings of the forensic audit to ensure transparency, accountability and confidence in the electoral process, ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The fourth demand was that the EC should re-exhibit the provisional voters register for five days, after the forensic audit is completed.
“This will enable registered voters, including those affected by the errors, to verify their details and confirm the integrity of the Voter Register. Without such a re-exhibition, many legitimate voters will be disenfranchised,” the petition argued.
The NDC says that the EC must take immediate steps “to reverse all unauthorised voter transfers and restore the integrity of the voter transfer system.”
They also demand that the EC provide clear answers on the origins of these transfers, including identifying any technical or human causes, and correct these issues promptly.
On point six, the NDC wants the EC to adopt a revised timeline for electoral activities. They say that the timeline for upcoming electoral activities, including the printing of the final voters register and related materials, must be reviewed and adjusted in consultation with all political stakeholders to allow sufficient time for the forensic audit, re-exhibition and corrections without compromising the December 7 election date.
“The EC must institute measures to prevent future manipulation of the Voters Register. This should include a review of internal processes, improved transparency in voter registration and transfer systems and stricter protocols to safeguard the integrity of the voter register,” the last demand by the NDC.
NATIONWIDE DEMOSTRATION
The Chronicle covered the protest across the country, particularly in the Ashanti, Western, Central, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions.
The protest, which saw thousands of people participate in what could largely be termed as a peaceful demonstration except the violence that broke out in Kumasi, resulting in the destruction of properties and some injuries.
The Ghana Police Service was commended for their spectacular performance in providing security across the country to ensure the protests were successful.
GREATER ACCRA
The National Chairman of the NDC, John Asiedu Nketia, led the nationwide protest from the capital, Accra, which houses the national headquarters of the umbrella party.
The protesters massed up at the Obra Spot, near the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, in Accra. The protestors went through Farisco traffic light, then to the Trades Union Congress, from where they marched to Parliament to present a copy of the petition. They then marched to the EC headquarters, which is not too far from the State House.
The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin, with the support of the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, received the petition on behalf of Parliament, whilst the Deputy Chairman in charge of operations, Samuel Tettey, received for the Commission.
Addressing the protesters, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, urged supporters to fight against “everything that has the tendency to generate into war. What we are doing is to prevent war in this country… There’s no option, there’s no sitting on the fence.
“If you sit on the fence today and allow conflict to mature into war, you will be conscripted into the army to fight and die, so instead of waiting for war, fight now against the elements that are generating the conflict,” Asiedu Nketia stated.
CENTRAL REGION
The NDC in the Central Region accused the EC of clandestinely manipulating the voter register by adding additional data that cannot be verified.
Presenting the party’s petition to the regional director of the commission, the MP for Cape Coast South, Mr Kweku Rickets Hagan disclosed that the regional party had uncovered questionable discrepancies, as far as voter transfers were concerned.
He mentioned that data on a hard drive, officially obtained from the EC’s Head Office, indicated that a total of 71, 828 transfers were made during the recent voter transfers in the region.
Meanwhile, data on printouts issued to parties in all the 22 District Offices, regarding transfers, according to the party, showed that a total of 36,311 were made across the region.
The difference of 35,517 according to the party indicated there were huge illegal transfers of voters made from the EC Head Office into various constituencies across the Central Region.
“For example, in Effutu Constituency alone, while the transfers recorded as shown by the printouts issued by the District EC was 6,206 the EC Head Office data exhibited transfers of 10,113 with a difference of 3,907,” the party claimed.
The party further alleged that while the District EC Office recorded 5,188 as transfers in the Awutu Senya East Constituency, the Head Office data showed 9,202 displaying a difference of 4,014.
The above stated anomalies, the party said, were not different from what happened in the Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam Constituency where the EC District transfer printouts showed 1,259 transfers.
However, data from the EC’s Head Office for the exhibition showed that an alarming 4,286 were transferred, which created a difference of 3,027 raising concerns about the actual intentions of the EC.
ASHANTI REGION
The Ashanti Region’s demonstration of the NDC started from its office, through the principal streets of Kumasi and ended at the Regional Coordinating Council premises where the EC offices are located.
The police had barricaded the road leading to the EC office to prevent the demonstrators from having access.
The party supporters, led by the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Mr Augustus Andrews Nana Kwasi, the Secretary, Dr. Frank Amoakohene and the National Organiser, Joseph Yamin, swerved the police to the Electoral Commission office, resulting in the arrest of three demonstrators for breaching guidelines. They were later released.
Dr. Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Secretary explained that the party notified the police, who gave out the route for the procession and that there was no need for police to prevent them from getting access to the office.
According to him, nothing can stop the NDC from winning the upcoming general elections and cautioned the police to remain professionals because the NDC would not sit down for the EC to transfer voters’ names to unknown polling stations without their knowledge and that diverting their votes would not be tolerated.
He said Ghanaians are tired of corrupt politicians and thieves who steal the taxpayers and hide them under their beds.
Chairman Augustus Andrews Nana Kwasi also urged the police not to provoke the supporters against their legitimate rights.
He stressed that nothing can stop the NDC from winning the upcoming general elections and urged the electorate to go out massively and vote out the corrupt NPP and to stop the looting of national resources.
WESTERN REGION
There was massive turn out at the NDC ‘Enough is Enough” demonstration in the Western regional capital, Sekondi-Takoradi.
The demonstration kicked off at exactly 7am and the protestors were clad in red and NDC party paraphernalia, carrying placards with various inscriptions.
Some of the inscription read: “EC is a crime scene’, ‘Jean Mensah is worse than Galamsey’ and “Audit the bloated register” amongst other funny inscriptions.
They converged at the Takoradi Shopping Mall where they marched off to Effia-Kuma, through Fijai to Sekondi.
Regional Chairman, Nana Kojo Toku, with his able executives and sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) and Parliamentary candidates led the demonstration.
MP Emmanuel Armah Buah, Legislator for Ellembelle and Deputy Minority Leader; Eric Afful, Legislator for Amenfi West and Isaac Adjei Mensah, Legislator for Wassa East were the sitting MPs who took part in the demonstration.
About 100 policemen shepherded the demonstrators peacefully from the start to the end of the peaceful protest.
Regional Secretary, Joseph Nelson, at the end of the protest presented a petition to the EC office, which was received by Joshua Ofori Prempeh, Deputy Regional Chair.
Addressing the media, Emmanuel Armah Buah indicated that the protest was basically to inform the EC that “enough is enough.”
He also accused the EC of scheming and attempting to collude with the NPP to defraud the people of Ghana.
“This is a walk for the stability of the country, walk for democracy, walk to ensure the path we have chosen as a country to transfer power peacefully is not interrupted.”
As a result “We came to tell the EC, as they have agreed that the register is unfit, and we need to fix it and to do it, we need an independent audit of the register.”
He continued, “We have done it before and there is nothing to be afraid off.”
The Deputy Minority Leader, however, indicated that going forward, EC needed to understand that the constitution clearly gave them the power and independence.
“So they are not the appendage of the NPP. Yes, we know they have thrown a lot of NPP appointees there so we are here to tell them we the people of Ghana, we are here to give them warning. Please fix the register before the wrath of the people descend on you.”
He expressed the hope EC would succumb to logic reasoning and allow the register to be audited.
“Hope by the end of evening the EC will respond by allowing the register to be fixed. Our responsibility cannot be joked with and EC should not allow political apparatchiks to toil with the stability of this country.”
EASTERN REGION
The Regional Secretary of the NDC Eastern region, Jamal Konneh, addressing the media in Koforidua, after the demonstration, claimed that a polling station in the Asuogyaman Constituency, Akosombo International School, has only one registered voter.
Further investigation revealed widespread irregularities in various constituencies.
He said discrepancies uncovered included: Achiase Constituency: 1,067 illegal voter transfers, Lower Manya Krobo Constituency: 1,381 illegal voter transfers, Yilo Krobo Constituency: 866 illegal voter transfers, Ofoase-Ayeribi Constituency: 251 illegal voter transfers and Nsawam-Adoagyiri Constituency 2,661 illegal voter transfers.
He said the NDC is demanding a forensic audit to ensure a clean voter register and is calling on the EC to publish a clear timeline for correcting these discrepancies before printing the final voter register.
Jamal Konneh stressed the importance of free, fair, and transparent elections, saying that, “Elections remind us not only of our rights, but also of our responsibility as citizens in a democracy.”
UPPER EAST
In the Upper East Region, the demonstrators, dressed in NDC branded T-shirts and paraphernalia poured onto the streets with Vuvuzelas and placards with inscriptions like; “EC, we want proof that the register is robust’, ‘Allow for audit now’, ‘Jean Mensa must respect the will of the people’, ‘Say no to EC rigging in 2024’, ‘You EC, if you want peace in the country, do the right thing!!! Ghana is for all’ and ‘2025: Year of justice for families of eight heroes killed in the 2020 elections’, among others.
Mr. James Agalga, the Member of Parliament for Builsa North commended the police for exhibiting professionalism.
He further expressed gratitude to supporters of the party for the peaceful manner in which they conducted the demonstration.
“You have come out in your numbers to show to the EC, led by Jean Mensa and the NPP, that moving into the elections, we will not tolerate any manipulations,” he added.
In a petition presented to the Regional Office of the EC by Alhaji Mumuni Bonaba, the Regional Chairman of the Party, on behalf of the National Chairman, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, he noted that the grave irregularities and discrepancies uncovered in the 2024 Provisional Voter Register and the EC’s admission of unauthorised voter transfers and errors, called for action and remedy.
By Chronicle Reporters
