The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has raised serious concerns about the Electoral Commission’s (EC) handling of preparations for the 2024 general elections.
Addressing the media at a press conference, Asiedu Nketia accused the EC of undermining the electoral process and favoring the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to Nketia, the EC’s initiative to clean and exhibit the voter register, which was aimed at correcting any discrepancies, has been compromised. He alleged that while the NDC initially supported the process to ensure fairness, the opportunity for corrections is now being exploited to manipulate the outcome of the election.
He pointed to a letter the NDC received from the EC, dated October 9, 2024, requesting party agents to oversee the printing of the “Notice of Poll” and ballot papers. The printing is scheduled to commence on October 11, 2024. However, Nketia expressed alarm that the ballot papers would be printed using a draft voter register instead of a finalized one, describing this move as a serious violation of electoral integrity.
“The Electoral Commission is moving ahead with the printing of ballot papers based on a draft register, which is highly irregular. This jeopardizes the credibility of the entire electoral process,” Nketia said.
He also emphasized the absence of essential documents, such as finalized voter “code books,” which are critical for determining the accurate number of voters at each polling station. Without these statistics, Nketia argued, the printing of ballot papers would be based on guesswork, further casting doubt on the integrity of the election.
Asiedu Nketia did not mince words, accusing the EC of deliberately orchestrating these actions to benefit the NPP in the upcoming elections. He claimed that the EC’s approach was part of a calculated plan to give the ruling party an unfair advantage.
“This is not guesswork. It is a well-orchestrated plan to position the ruling party in a favorable situation. But let me tell them, no matter what they do, no matter what they say, this election will never be won by the NPP and its partners in the Electoral Commission,” he declared.
The NDC chairman’s signal growing tension as Ghana heads into the 2024 elections, with opposition parties increasingly questioning the neutrality of the Electoral Commission. The EC has yet to respond to the allegations raised by the NDC.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
