The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has insisted that an external body must audit the voter register for the 2024 general elections.
Deputy Director of Elections and IT of the NDC, Dr Rashid Tanko-Computer says that the Electoral Commission cannot be trusted to audit the document.
“We want an external body to audit the register because the EC has betrayed our trust,” he said on the Ghana Tonught show on TV3 on Thursday, September 12.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has expressed its frustration at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for not being forthcoming with information regarding discrepancies in the Voters Register.
Samuel Tettey, Deputy Electoral Commissioner in charge of operations, highlighted the NDC’s lack of cooperation in addressing these issues.
“The Commission requested a copy of the discrepancies identified by the NDC at the meeting. This was not given to the Commission,” Tettey stated. He noted that despite several calls and requests, the NDC has not provided the necessary data. “Unfortunately, several calls and requests to the NDC to obtain a copy of the discrepancies have yielded no results,” he added.
Tettey emphasized that this lack of cooperation is impeding the EC’s ability to resolve the concerns effectively. “We have also noted comments from the NDC alluding to ghost names in the register. We are aware that there may be dead persons on the register because several persons die each year. One of the key purposes of the Exhibition Exercise is to allow relatives of the dead to initiate the process of expunging their names from the Register,” Tettey explained.
The EC has been actively addressing the issues raised and is committed to transparency. “The Exhibition Exercise itself is an audit. It unearths discrepancies and allows for prescribed legal processes to correct them,” Tettey said.
He reiterated the importance of the NDC providing the detailed information needed for further investigation: “We urge the NDC to submit details of the discrepancies they have identified so we can investigate and resolve them.”
The Commission says its call for greater cooperation underscores its commitment to ensuring the accuracy and credibility of the Voters Register while emphasizing the need for collaborative engagement with all stakeholders.
