NDC urges EC to exhibit corrected voters’ register both online and offline

NDC Expresses Satisfaction with IPAC Meeting Outcomes; Urges Further Scrutiny and Reforms

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has voiced satisfaction with the results of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on October 1, 2024. The party expressed feeling vindicated, as officials from the Electoral Commission (EC) acknowledged several discrepancies in the current voter register.

“With this acknowledgment, the Functional Executive Committee of the NDC has decided to accept the EC’s commitment to release an updated and corrected version of the 2024 Provisional Voters Register for political parties to review within a week. We also welcome the EC’s decision to re-exhibit the updated register and recommend that this exercise should be conducted both online and offline at the designated exhibition centers,” said NDC General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, in a statement dated October 1.

NDC's Position on IPAC Deliberations and the 2024 Provisional Voters’ Register

Following the special IPAC meeting on the 2024 Provisional Voters Register, the NDC’s Functional Executive Committee (FEC) highlighted key issues that were admitted by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, including:

Illegal Transfers of Voters: Due to the absence of a “liveliness test” technology, there were unauthorized voter transfers, particularly in Pusiga and other constituencies.

Erroneous Inclusion of Past Transfers: Previous voter transfers were mistakenly added to the current 2024 transfer list.

Presence of Corrupted Files: The 2024 Provisional Voters Register contained corrupted files, which the EC claims have been corrected and restored.

Deleted Voters: Voters who were previously deleted are to be placed on a separate “Missing Voters” register.

Vulnerabilities in the EC’s IT System: The Commission acknowledged weaknesses in its IT system, making it susceptible to data manipulation and unauthorized access by both officials and non-officials with login credentials.

Given these revelations, the NDC calls for a comprehensive review and multi-stakeholder evaluation of the EC’s IT system to address its vulnerabilities, as failure to do so could allow malicious actors to undermine the credibility of the upcoming December 7, 2024, elections.

The party has also demanded that the re-exhibition of the corrected voter register be accessible online and offline to ensure transparency and restore public confidence in the electoral process.