THE opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for a forensic audit of Ghana’s voters register ahead of the December elections. Dr Omane Boamah, the NDC’s Director of Elections, raised concerns about unauthorised voter transfers, system vulnerabilities, and delays in providing the provisional voters register, stressing that these issues could compromise the integrity of the upcoming elections.
Speaking on behalf of the party, Dr Boamah questioned the scale of unauthorised voter transfers, citing an incident at the Pusiga Electoral Commission (EC) office in the Upper East Region, where voters were allegedly transferred from the Tamale South Constituency – 244 kilometres away – without proper authorisation. He suggested that this might not be an isolated case and called for an audit to determine the full extent of such irregularities across the country.
‘We need to know how widespread the issue of illegal voter transfers is,’ Dr Boamah stated. ‘If it can happen in Pusiga, how many more voters might have been affected nationwide? A forensic audit is essential to quantify these manipulations and restore confidence in the electoral process.’
The NDC also expressed concerns about vulnerabilities in the Electoral Commission’s systems, both human and technical, which may have allowed for these unauthorised transfers. Dr Boamah questioned the EC’s response to these weaknesses and asked why preventative measures were not instituted sooner to avoid such manipulations.
‘The EC must explain what specific system vulnerabilities allowed for these transfers and what measures have been taken to prevent further breaches. If solutions are in place now, why weren’t they before?’ Dr Boamah asked.
He further criticised the delay in providing the provisional voters register to the NDC, calling it ‘avoidable’ and raising concerns about the potential impact of such errors on the fairness of the upcoming elections. Dr Boamah stressed that the EC’s mistakes could undermine the credibility of the electoral results.
‘There is a risk that the admitted errors by the Electoral Commission could affect the fairness of the elections,’ he noted. ‘We need to assess how these mistakes might compromise the integrity of the final results.’
Comparing the current issues to past electoral errors, Dr Boamah questioned the relevance of the EC’s references to previous mistakes and called for a focus on lessons learned to avoid repeating history. He also urged the EC to provide a clear timeline for correcting the current issues before the printing of registers and election materials begins.
‘The Electoral Commission must offer a clear timeline for addressing these concerns. We need a credible and reliable voters register before moving forward with printing election materials,’ Dr Boamah insisted.
The NDC is adamant that an independent forensic audit is ‘non-negotiable’ to safeguard the credibility of the electoral process. Dr Boamah urged the Electoral Commission to stop rationalising their mistakes and instead prioritise ensuring the integrity of Ghana’s democracy.
‘The credibility of our democratic process hinges on the integrity of our electoral institutions. The EC must understand that addressing these issues is essential for ensuring that the elections reflect the true will of the people of Ghana,’ he said.
