The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has voiced doubts regarding the Electoral Commission’s credibility following recent events.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, May 9, Mr Nketia expressed reservations about the EC’s trustworthiness in light of the theft of biometric voter registration kits.
Addressing the gathering on May 9, the party chairman indicated that “We raised an issue, and the electoral commission came in quickly to the rubbish they claim that we still nevertheless call for an emergency IPAC meeting to deal with that issue but these questions remain unanswered,” he said.
Mr Nketia added that the opposition Members of Parliament subsequently communicated the questions to the EC.
The Commission earlier today responded to the NDC claiming that it had put measures in place to ensure a transparent registration process.
But Johnson Asiedu Nketia will have none of that.
“Therefore the EC cannot expect the NDC to believe and trust that all is well with their equipment and their preparations getting into the 2024 December election. We must keep vigilance on every step that EC takes moving towards the December election” he said.
Mr Nketia emphasized that trust should not be the sole foundation for any election, particularly considering the EC’s critical role in upholding transparency and fairness.
He underscored the NDC’s lack of confidence in the EC’s BVRs and readiness for the upcoming December 2024 election, urging increased vigilance in monitoring the commission’s activities.
He emphasised that this is precisely why we turn to equipment and IT systems—to minimize our dependence on human trust.
He noted that members of parliament petitioned the Speaker of Parliament to initiate an independent, non-partisan investigation into the theft of biometric equipment from the EC of Ghana.
“We all know that parliament has had to go on break abruptly, so again not much progress has been made along that path,” he added Mr. Nketia further stated that the NDC has consistently harbored suspicions that the stolen kits might be utilized for illicit voter registration, potentially adding individuals to the voter register to enable them to vote in December 2024.
“This suspicion underscores all the precautionary measures the party is endeavoring to implement to prevent such occurrences and provide peace of mind to all stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission and the ruling New Patriotic Party.
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