We cannot have a credible register if you keep bringing in minors and foreigners to register - Ayariga

The presidential candidate of the All-People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has blamed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for being the main reasons why there are always discrepancies in the voters’ register.

He stated that these two political parties are mostly the ones behind registering minors and foreigners, and when the elections do not go in their favour, they blame the Electoral Commission (EC).

He therefore recommends that major political parties discontinue their engagement in such activities to ensure the compilation of a credible register that facilitates the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections.

He made the remarks at the first-ever televised Inter-Party Advisory Committee Meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. The meeting was organised by the EC to address the challenges and alleged discrepancies with the provisional register.

He also argued it is going to be extremely difficult for Ghana to have a perfect system without a national data system.

He said that other jurisdictions have one data system that has every piece of information about their citizens right from when they are born to old age, but Ghana lacks that.

Hassan Ayariga then slammed the NDC and NPP and accused them of always trying to manipulate the electoral processes, especially during the voter registration exercise.

"Parties here bring in foreigners to come and register; parties here bring in minors to come and register, and you expect 100 percent perfection of the register? How is that going to be possible? We are the cause of where we are today, and we must all admit it. We cannot be feeding the voter register and expect it to be credible."

He opined that there was nothing wrong with the request for a forensic audit, but the problem for him was that the final register was not out, and what was currently being used as a case study was the provisional register.

The candidate noted that the provisional register gives room for all the necessary corrections to be made.

To him, it would be more reasonable and feasible to call for a forensic audit if we get the final register and discrepancies are detected.

He said he was convinced by the presentation done by the EC and the assurances they gave to the political parties and other stakeholders.