Mustapha Gbande, Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has disputed the Electoral Commission’s claim that no political party possesses the serial numbers of all BVR machines deployed for the limited voter registration exercise, labeling it as inaccurate.
Mustapha Gbande revealed that the NDC possesses the serial numbers of all deployed voter registration kits, enabling the party to monitor the registration process and access relevant data.
He implied that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) likely has similar access, as they seem to be aware of the same information as the NDC, raising concerns about the Electoral Commission’s earlier denial.
“And so we are wondering why the Electoral Commission is riding home with the fact that it hasn’t been able to give serial numbers to any of the agents at the various registration centers. It is not true”.
Mustapha Gbande
Moreover, Mustapha Gbande contended that if the Electoral Commission is committed to ensuring a trustworthy voter registration process, it should be transparent and willing to share its serial numbers with political parties and agents, rather than hesitating or justifying why it cannot do so.
Furthermore, he dismissed the Electoral Commission’s (EC) security concerns as a justification for withholding serial numbers from the NDC, labeling it as unfounded.
He emphasized that given the recent theft of BVDs and BVR machines from the EC’s offices, it is crucial to verify the authenticity of the devices used in the registration process.
As such, he argued that granting parties access to serial numbers would enable them to conduct an inventory and prevent the stolen devices from being used to compromise the registration exercise.
“Does that not resonate with common sense and in fact in terms of stock handlings? It is only the Commission that doesn’t see sense in it. But I can assure you that we have these serial numbers. At the start of the day, various agents will inspect the machine before they are engaged, the NPP is there, and the NDC is there. At the close of the day, they record the same and so what are they [EC] talking about?”
Mustapha Gbande
NPP Refuses To Engage in Serial Number Debate
Meanwhile, Haruna Mohammed, Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, declared that the NPP will not engage in a debate with the NDC over the issue of serial numbers for Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) machines.
He noted that the NPP’s primary focus is on ensuring that all eligible voters are successfully registered on the electoral roll, prioritizing the integrity and inclusivity of the electoral process.
“I am telling you that this is not a matter that we are going to engage ourselves in. The NDC is engaged in lazy politics and wants to make requests for something that they can easily have. I am telling you that we [NPP] have agents across the 268 and registration centers and all the information that we need as political parties we have the same information. It is not in my [power] to disclose information because it is immaterial to the registration process as we speak now”.
Haruna Mohammed
Furthermore, he emphasized that the NPP is closely monitoring the ongoing voter registration process, reaffirming the party’s commitment to upholding the law and adhering strictly to the guidelines outlined in the Constitutional Instrument (CI) that governs the registration process.
However, security expert, Dr. Victor Doke, expressed concern over the NDC’s access to serial numbers, questioning the party’s motives and raising concerns about potential security implications.
Dr. Victor Doke warned that the NDC’s possession of serial numbers raises concerns about the integrity of the December 7th election, as it could potentially be used to manipulate the outcome either in favor of or against the NDC.
As such, he cautioned that if the election results favor the NDC, the NPP may contest the legitimacy of the outcome, potentially leading to post-election disputes and tensions.
“We need to look at this very critically. I think the EC should come clean and tell us what exactly the issue with these serial numbers is. Let them [EC] have an emergency meeting with the NDC to iron out issues.”
Dr. Victor Doke
Dr. Victor Doke warned that the EC’s failure to engage with the NDC and clarify the implications of possessing serial numbers may leave the electoral process vulnerable to cyber-attacks, potentially eroding trust in the EC and compromising the integrity of the elections.
