The Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Benjamin Bano – Bio has said that almost all the issues identified in the voters register during the exhibition exercise have been resolved.
He said this on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, September 14 while reacting to the calls by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to audit the register.
“Almost all the discrepancies identified during the voter exhibition exercise have been rectified,” he said.
For his part, the National Communications Officer of the NDC Sammy Gyamfi said the party insists that the voter register for the 2024 elections must be audited.
He said the electoral commission and the political parties must sit together and do the auditing.
“We insist that the voters’ register must undergo a forensic audit. Party reps and EC must sit together and audit the register,” Sammy Gyamfi, said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, September 14.
The Electoral Commission had turned down a request from the NDC for an independent forensic audit of the provisional voters’ register.
This rejection came after a closed-door meeting between the EC and the opposition party, following concerns raised by the NDC regarding alleged discrepancies in the voter roll.
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Director of Elections for the NDC, expressed disappointment, emphasizing that a forensic audit would be essential in restoring confidence in the electoral process. “They have not accepted the independent forensic audit request,” Dr. Boamah stated after the meeting.
The NDC has been vocal about their concerns, particularly regarding what they describe as the extent of manipulation in the voter transfer system. They argue that the provisional register contains illegal transfers that could potentially undermine the fairness of the upcoming 2024 elections. The party has called for transparency, requesting the involvement of independent experts in auditing the voter list.
Dr. Boamah stressed the importance of an external body handling the audit, comparing it to a medical referral system.
“The very doctor who created the problem should not be the doctor that will resolve the problem,” he said. He added that development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), are willing to support the audit process, but it requires the EC’s consent.
“The UNDP is ready and willing to provide the support only if the Electoral Commission will write and request the support,” Dr. Boamah noted.
Despite this, the EC remains firm in its decision not to proceed with the audit, a stance that has raised concerns about transparency in the electoral process as the 2024 elections approach.
