The Deputy Director of IT and Elections for the NDC, Dr. Rashid Tanko has expressed significant dissatisfaction with the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana following their response to a letter he had written on behalf of the NDC, requesting a meeting to address concerns about the credibility of the electoral register.
Dr. Tanko began by dismissing the EC’s assurance that the register was credible. Dr. Tanko remarked, ‘That thing you have read should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.”
His criticism centered around the inconsistency of the EC’s statements and actions, specifically regarding the provisional register. Tanko found it contradictory that the EC would describe the register as credible while simultaneously displaying it for public correction.
“If you think it’s credible and can be used for a purpose, why then do you display them for people to go and check?”
Dr. Rashid Tanko the Deputy Director of IT and Elections for the NDC
Dr. Tanko’s frustration stemmed from what he perceived as a disconnect between the EC’s statements about the register’s reliability and their actions of publicly exhibiting it for corrections. He continued to question the credibility of the document, asking rhetorically.
“Well, how do you describe such a document as credible? How can you describe?”
Dr. Rashid Tanko the Deputy Director of IT and Elections for the NDC
Dr. Tanko implied that the EC’s statement did not align with the reality of the situation on the ground. He urged the commission to take the concerns raised by the former president seriously, as the NDC had identified several issues with the register.
According to Dr. Tanko, the NDC had uncovered five major thematic crises within the provisional register. One of these issues involved the illegal transfer of people from one constituency to another without their knowledge. He warned that such actions could compromise the integrity of the entire register, stating, “It’s a huge issue that can throw out the whole register.”
“You are here, assuming Metro TV is a polling station and you are registered in that polling station, your data is captured there. Only for you to come and check at the exhibition and you are told your name is in Pusiga. How will you feel?”
Dr. Rashid Tanko the Deputy Director of IT and Elections for the NDC
This example highlighted the gravity of the situation, as the movement of names without consent could disenfranchise voters. Dr. Tanko emphasized that the NDC had credible details to support their claims, including polling station codes and the names of affected individuals.
“We have credible details, showing you polling station codes, [voters] names, where they registered, and where they voted previously…bring them back .”
Dr. Rashid Tanko the Deputy Director of IT and Elections for the NDC
Disenfranchisement Concerns
Another critical issue raised by Dr. Tanko was the removal of qualified voters’ names from the main register and their placement on the exception list.
Dr. Tanko described this as a clear attempt to disenfranchise voters, stating, “You have put people who are qualified to vote…and put them in the exception list, which is not supposed to be the case.” He asserted that these individuals were not dead, nor were their registrations challenged, so their names should not have been excluded from the main register.
Dr. Tanko also expressed frustration with the EC’s communication strategy. Although the EC had agreed to meet with the NDC to address these issues, Dr. Tanko was baffled by their subsequent public statements claiming the register’s credibility. He described these statements as reckless, commenting, “I will describe it as a reckless statement that is credible, they should just laugh at what we are talking about. What is that?”
A Call for Forensic Audit
Dr. Tanko highlighted the need for a forensic audit of the register to resolve the discrepancies. He clarified that the NDC was not calling for a new register but was focused on addressing issues related to data manipulation. Tanko emphasized that individuals had been transferred without applying for it, questioning who was responsible for such actions.
“We are saying that the data was properly captured. Somebody somewhere is messing up the data.”
Dr. Rashid Tanko the Deputy Director of IT and Elections for the NDC
To rectify the situation, Tanko called for the restoration of the affected individuals to their original constituencies. He assured that the NDC had gathered data to support their claims and would present the evidence during their meeting with the EC.
“We are going to provide the evidence to that and we’ll show them that look these and these are not supposed to be there.”
Dr. Rashid Tanko the Deputy Director of IT and Elections for the NDC
Dr. Tanko urged the EC to refrain from issuing statements that could undermine public trust in the electoral process. He warned that such statements could damage the commission’s reputation, stating, “Much as they’ve agreed to meet us, they should stop issuing such kinds of statements. It makes their matter worse in the eyes of the general public.”
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