Election 2024: NDC’s 8th position on ballot is God-given - Kofi Adams

Kofi Adams, Member of Parliament (MP) for Buem Constituency in the Oti Region, has described the National Democratic Congress (NDC)'s number eight position on the ballot sheet for the December Presidential Election as God-given.

“We are so comfortable with the position God has given us in this ballot. We are not worried at all... Already, long before this ballot thing, we were talking about three shifts of eight for the 2024 elections. Now, we’ve picked eight, so it makes it so easy for us.”

Adams said this on Saturday during a discussion on an Accra-based television programme.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will be number one on the 2024 presidential election ballot, whereas the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama will be eighth on the ballot.

This was confirmed after the Electoral Commission (EC) conducted the Presidential ballots at its premises on Friday, September 20, 2024.

After some disagreements and delays, the ballot picking was finally done, first with the party-sponsored candidates and then the independent candidates.

Adams said in recent times, the number “eight” was the most mentioned in the political space, and as such, getting the eighth slot on the ballot would make it easier for the NDC to attract attention.

“The NDC today is very comfortable with the position we find ourselves in because all of us here will agree that if there is ever any number in the last two years that has seen a lot of mention by all manner of persons, then it is number eight.

“It is either someone is saying, ‘I want to break the eight’ or others are saying, ‘what are you breaking it for?’ And the media is carrying it, the Chiefs are talking about it, the Pastors are talking about it, Imams are talking about it, everybody is talking about it.”

Adams said the Party’s concern, however, had always been about transparency and urged the EC to ensure transparency at all times.

Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman, Corporate Services, EC, said the balloting exercise was conducted in a transparent manner, with consideration given to concerns raised by the NDC during the activity.

“What transpired was that before the exercise began, we gave the opportunity to the parties to examine the balls. It was later that the NDC rep, Dr. Omane Boamah, indicated that he had noticed some differences. But before we began the exercise, everything was given.

“And this was done in the full glare of the media or the political parties, including the independent Presidential candidates or their representatives. So we believe that the processes were extremely transparent.”

Asare said the Commission would go back to the drawing board to look at the various concerns that had come up after the balloting exercise.

Dr. Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Chairperson of the Civic Forum Initiative, expressed disappointment over the manner in which the balloting exercise was conducted and called for the strengthening of the EC to improve electoral processes.

“In this period of AI, I think we are way, way behind, and it is not good that our two main political parties will continue to argue about everything. It is important that we come to a place where our main aim is to strengthen our institutions. And the more we disagree over basic things, the more we weaken them.”

She, however, commended the EC for the reforms made over the past years and urged it to continue improving.

“There have been reforms that have stood us in very good stead in terms of our electoral processes. We are proud of these reforms, moving away from opaque ballot boxes to transparent ones, and so on.

“But we are in the age of AI. We can’t be choosing balls in a black rubber bag. Ghana in 2024, I think that needs to change,” she said.

Dr. Dwamena-Aboagye, also the Executive Director of The Ark Foundation, urged the major parties to help in building the capacities of smaller parties, not by co-opting them, but by helping them around issues that would develop the political system.