The Director of Legal Affairs for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe Esq. has criticized the Electoral Commission over the credibility of the Voter Register awaiting the 2024 general elections.

In a passionate defense of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stance on the electoral process, Edudzi Tamakloe articulated the reasons behind the NDC’s planned demonstration against the Electoral Commission (EC). Below is a breakdown of his key submission, including the NDC’s issues with the current voters’ register and their subsequent demands for electoral reform.

Tamakloe began by referencing the 1992 Constitution, which enshrines three main principles that should guide the conduct of the Electoral Commission; probity, accountability, and transparency. He stressed that these principles are not negotiable and are central to ensuring a credible electoral process in Ghana. According to him, “The electoral commission, being a creature of the constitution, must subject its activities to these constitutional principles. Nothing more, nothing else.” Tamakloe further addressed the common argument that the EC is independent, noting that while the EC should be independent in its decisions, it cannot be independent from the principles of transparency, accountability, and probity.

Tamakloe detailed the NDC’s discovery of significant discrepancies in the voters’ register. He noted that the NDC carefully examined the register and identified five main areas of concern. To address these, the NDC sought a meeting with the EC to present their findings and proposed solutions. He explained that the NDC wanted this meeting to be open to public scrutiny through live media coverage.

“We further requested that the whole process should have the media present. So, we requested for additional live coverage of the event.”
Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe Esq. the Director of Legal Affairs for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)

This, in their view, would have allowed the Ghanaian public to witness the transparency of the process, and if their claims were unfounded, the media could expose the NDC’s assertions as baseless.

Rejection of Media Presence by the EC

Tamakloe expressed surprise and disappointment at the EC’s rejection of the NDC’s request for media presence during the meeting. “Strangely, the electoral commission rejected the media presence,” he remarked. He found it concerning that the media itself did not protest this decision but noted that this decision was ultimately within the EC’s purview. Despite this, Tamakloe reiterated the importance of transparency, saying, “I talked about the issues of transparency. The electoral commission itself claims that it wants to have a transparent election, yet when we ask for media presence, it is denied.” He implied that if the EC were truly committed to transparency, it would have welcomed the media’s involvement. Despite the absence of media coverage, the NDC proceeded with their meeting, during which several discrepancies in the voters’ register were identified by the party’s IT experts. One of the most egregious examples was in Tamale Central, where 25 voters had their identities transferred to Pusiga in the Upper East Region without their consent.

“The electoral commission found merit in that claim and proceeded to suspend its district director there… It tells you the extent to which the IT system of the electoral commission can be subject to [ manipulation.] ”
Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe Esq. the Director of Legal Affairs for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)

This incident, according to Tamakloe underscored the potential vulnerabilities in the EC’s IT systems. He used this as a prime example to illustrate that the NDC’s concerns were not unfounded.

More Discrepancies: A National Issue

Moreover, Tamakloe explained that the Tamale Central case was just one example of a larger problem. The NDC had identified over 15,000 cases where people’s identities were either compromised or tampered with and over 200,000 people who had issues with their voter records.

Tamakloe noted that when these concerns were brought to the attention of the EC, the commission acknowledged that there might be issues but claimed that they had been internally resolved. However, Tamakloe questioned the EC’s assurances, asking, “How do you tell whether these issues have been resolved?” His skepticism was clear, and he expressed concern that the EC’s internal processes might not be sufficient to guarantee the integrity of the register. Tamakloe outlined the NDC’s demands from the EC, centered on the need for greater transparency and accountability. He expressed the NDC’s insistence that the EC’s internal resolutions to the discrepancies should be made public and subjected to external scrutiny to ensure the integrity of the voters’ register. For Tamakloe, transparency was the only way to restore trust in the electoral process. By reaffirming the NDC’s commitment to peaceful demonstration, emphasizing that their demands were based on a desire to protect the democratic process and ensure free and fair elections in Ghana.

Tamakloe’s statement highlighted the NDC’s commitment to constitutional principles and their concerns about the EC’s handling of the voters’ register. His call for transparency and external scrutiny echoes the party’s broader push for electoral reforms ahead of the upcoming elections.

In his view, without these reforms, the integrity of the electoral process remains in question, and peaceful demonstrations are a necessary tool for ensuring accountability. “The NDC’s demand is simple,” Tamakloe stressed, “let the process be open and transparent for all Ghanaians to see.”