There is an urgent need for a forensic audit of the voter register and the Electoral Commission’s IT system, as national data has reportedly been tampered with due to illegal voter transfers. The security of the data system has been compromised by unqualified personnel, believed to be party officers whose credibility is questionable.
Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, Deputy Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in charge of IT, made this statement on the Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show, hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu on Ahotor 92.3 FM in Accra. He expressed concern that the Electoral Commission (EC) is ignoring calls for accountability, particularly following the recent protest demonstration dubbed “Enough is Enough.” He warned that this reluctance signals the EC’s potential intent to manipulate the December 2024 elections in favor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Despite receiving a letter of acknowledgment regarding their petition, the NDC claims the EC has failed to provide concrete answers or collaborate on the requested forensic audit. Dr. Tanko stated that the NDC has several initiatives planned to pressure the EC into compliance.
He noted that similar electoral audits in the past have helped ensure the integrity of voter registration for free and fair elections. Dr. Tanko reiterated his lack of trust in the EC, suggesting that its communications serve merely as a smokescreen to disguise underlying issues while potentially facilitating election rigging for the NPP.
The NDC has raised serious concerns about what it describes as significant irregularities in the 2024 Provisional Voter Register. In a petition dated September 17, 2024, the party alleges that nearly 4,000 registered voters have inexplicably vanished from the register. “Nearly 4,000 voters registered in 2023 have been deleted from the 2024 Provisional Register without valid justification,” the petition states.
This removal of voters has raised alarms ahead of the December 2024 General Elections. The NDC warns that unresolved issues could disenfranchise many citizens. “The deletion of these voters without proper explanation undermines the integrity of the register,” said NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah in the petition.
The missing voter data is part of broader concerns about how the EC has managed the register, including unauthorized transfers and untraceable data paths. The NDC insists that these discrepancies necessitate a forensic audit to ensure fair and transparent elections. “The deletion of voters is not an isolated error; it represents a deeper flaw in the electoral system,” Nketiah emphasized.
Additionally, the petition highlights the theft of biometric voter registration equipment from the EC headquarters, suggesting a possible link between the stolen items and the missing voter data. The NDC remains steadfast in its request for a thorough forensic audit before the election to prevent any potential instability.
Story By: AlexanderKukah
