We Have No Intention of Bloating Register for NPP – EC Tells Ghanaians

The Electoral Commission (EC) firmly asserts that claims regarding the bloating register for NPP adding to the numbers of voters Registered to manipulate elections for a specific party are completely false. Such allegations lack any basis and should be dismissed by the public.

“The EC is committed to maintaining the integrity of the register and has no plans to inflate or be involved in bloating the register for NPP or anyone to favour any political party. As previously mentioned, the cumulative transfer data for 2020, 2023, and 2024 were mistakenly combined in the registers shared with Political Parties. This error has been rectified, and a corrected register will be issued once all adjustments are finalized. The updated transfer list will also be provided to the parties,” the Electoral Commission stated.

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The NDC argues that inaccuracies in the register could compromise the integrity of the upcoming elections and potentially disenfranchise many eligible voters.

During a press conference in Accra on Monday, the EC acknowledged responsibility for the inflated voter register in the Ejumako-Enyan-Esiam constituency, attributing the issue to an error.

In the meantime, the  NDC had previously accused the Commission (EC) of colluding with the ruling NPP to inflate the register by over 3,000 voters.

However, at the press conference, Deputy Chairman of the EC, Dr Bossman Asare, clarified that the Commission had inadvertently included voter transfer lists from 2020 and 2023 in the current register, leading to the inflated figures.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Wednesday, Dr Tanko Rashid-Computer, the NDC’s Deputy Director of Elections and IT stated that the EC could no longer be trusted and called for an external audit.

“We said we don’t trust their internal investigation. We are calling for an external body to audit them because this EC cannot be trusted in even handling their data.”

“Listening to them they migrated 2020 transfers into these current transfers by bloating it…They should apologise to Ghanaians,” he stated.

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However, the Electoral Management Body emphasized that Ghana is recognized for having one of the most transparent and inclusive electoral systems in Africa.

“From the registration phase to the announcement of results, our processes are clear, inclusive, and accessible to both Political Parties and the public. There are no hidden agendas or secrets. Any interested party or citizen can easily obtain pertinent information regarding all facets of the electoral process.

“Thus, the notion that the peace and results of the election depend solely on the Chairperson of the EC is unfounded. We encourage the public to disregard comments, even from notable figures, suggesting that the success of peaceful elections in 2024 rests with the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission,” it added.

“The Commission operates with full transparency. The Provisional Voters Register is a public document, readily available for voters to check their information online. This is not a confidential document. Ultimately, the Final Register will be accessible to all Political Parties, by legal requirements and standard procedures.”

“The preparation of the Register is a human endeavour. There are bound to be mistakes. This is not the first time the Commission has recorded mistakes during the registration of voters and compilation of the Voters Register. This has been the case since 1992. The issues range from missing names, swapped photos and gender, wrong additions or omitted names, et cetera. This is not new.”