The Electoral Commission (EC) is losing its respect and trust as a distinguished institution to execute its independent mandate as an arbiter ensuring free and fair elections. This loss of confidence is evident in the recent limited voter registration process.
Unintended minor errors carried out by the EC and the National Identification Authority (NIA) are unheard of and bizarre. Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, Deputy Director of Election and IT, described the EC’s actions as an “Error of Commission.” He made this statement on the award-winning political talk show “Simpieso,” hosted by Emmanuel Amartey (Alaska De Don) on Ahotor 92.3 FM in Accra.
Dr. Tanko-Computer reiterated that the EC is deeply involved in trans-positional errors of figures in the national limited voter registration. The astute National Democratic Congress (NDC) IT team investigated these figures and pointed out the correct data to the EC, which ultimately had to accept the corrections and release accurate figures.
Furthermore, Dr. Tanko-Computer alleged that the NIA and the EC are closely collaborating to supply fake Ghana cards to minors and foreigners along the northern borders of Ghana, thereby inflating the limited register with ineligible voters from Togo. To maintain the integrity of the national data for the 2024 election, the NDC’s legal team has challenged all 102 people who registered in the border towns in northern Ghana.
He opined that the NDC’s position on the circulation of fake Ghana cards in the hands of unqualified individuals has now been validated. Consequently, the NDC is vindicated in asserting that the Ghana Card cannot be used as the sole document for national elections and voter registration.
In another development, concerns about the criminalization of state institutions by the NPP have been highlighted. The NIA, headed by Bawumia’s close associate Ken Attafuah, has chosen this voter registration period to launch a special pilot program to issue Ghana cards to “Ghanaians living along the borders of Ghana and Burkina Faso in Pusiga.” The NIA encourages all Ghanaians living in Pusiga who have not registered to do so.
This decision comes shortly after the #EagleEyes of the NDC voter registration agents in Pusiga led to the arrest of an Electoral Commission officer (Muhazu) for using a single Ghana card to register multiple people for the December 07, 2024 election. This NIA exercise, masked as a collaboration with the IOM, appears to be an effort to facilitate illegal voting in the final days of the voter registration exercise. The NIA’s goal seems to be providing Ghana cards to those turned away from the Pusiga registration center so they can register within these final seven days and vote on December 07.
NB:
Recall that in the NDC press conference held on Thursday, 16th May, 2024, we said,
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, we are compelled to address another grave concern: the flagrant abuse of the Ghana Card. It has come to our attention that EC registration officials, in
collusion with elements from our opponents, the NPP, are misusing the Ghana Card extensively. A particularly alarming instance was uncovered at the PUSIGA registration center, where EC registration officer, Muhazu Alhassan, used a single Ghana Card to register over 20 applicants.”
we further added, “Upon discovery, the police were promptly notified, leading to Muhazu Alhassan’s arrest.
Although he has since been granted bail pending further investigation, this incident raises significant concerns. The NPP’s distribution of Ghana Cards to minors to facilitate their registration underscores a systemic manipulation of our electoral process. The EC has lamented the registration of minors yet conspicuously fails to challenge the National
Identification Authority (NIA) for issuing cards to these minors and misrepresenting their ages.
Why is the EC’s database not integrated with the NIA’s to instantly verify the ages of new voters, especially when $54 million of taxpayer money was invested in 2020 to secure
biometric registration capabilities? What purpose does the NIA serve…”
#EagleEyes
#OrganiseDontAgonise
#24HourEcon
