Nationwide protests have surged in Ghana as thousands of supporters from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the main opposition party, demand a thorough independent forensic audit of the country’s voter register. The NDC asserts that serious inaccuracies in the electoral roll need to be corrected to ensure the integrity of the December elections.
The party claims that the voter registry contains several critical errors, including unauthorized name transfers, missing voters, and the inclusion of names of over 50,000 deceased individuals. Despite the Electoral Commission’s claims of addressing previous errors, the NDC insists that a more comprehensive review is necessary. Protesters in Accra, dressed in red and white shirts, carried placards with messages like “We need justice in this election,” highlighting their call for transparency and accountability.
Dr. Omane Boamah, the NDC’s director of elections, has called for an independent audit to restore confidence in the electoral process. He suggested that the UN Development Programme facilitate this audit, but this proposal was rejected by the Electoral Commission. The commission maintains that the current calls for an audit are misplaced and unnecessary, asserting that they have already addressed previous issues.
On the other hand, the communications director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagba, expressed trust in the Electoral Commission’s capability to conduct a fair and credible election. As Ghana approaches its December 2024 presidential election, the race is set to be highly competitive between John Mahama, the former president and NDC candidate, and current Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia. Both candidates have pledged to address Ghana’s economic difficulties, which are central to their campaigns.
The situation underscores the high stakes of the upcoming election and the deep-seated concerns regarding the electoral process in Ghana, a country known for its relatively stable democratic practices amidst a history of fiercely contested elections.