Following the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission’s declaration of John Dramani Mahama as the President-Elect of the Republic of Ghana in the 2024 elections, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has addressed the media at the EC headquarters.
Dr. Boamah outlined various electoral anomalies, lauded the party’s vigilance, and called for institutional reforms to safeguard Ghana’s democracy.
Dr. Omane Boamah emphasized significant lapses and irregularities during the electoral process.
He criticized instances of theft, the use of biometric devices under surveillance, and discrepancies in the electoral register, which left many voters struggling to locate their names.
Despite these challenges, he affirmed the NDC’s resolve to uphold Ghana’s democracy.
“We decided that it is the commission that had been mandated to conduct the elections. So whilst we put them on their toes, let’s also continue to campaign. Let’s put in place the checks and balances.
Just imagine if those ballot papers estimated at almost 500,000 had entered the ballot boxes in Ashanti Region in favor of the NPP. The NPP would have today been talking about over 1,000,000 votes in Ashanti Region as the gap between the NPP and the NDC.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
The NDC adopted what Dr. Boamah described as an “eagle eye” strategy to block potential attempts to subvert the electoral process.
“We sent over 1,300 people into Ashanti Region. We sent several others to other places where evidence demonstrated that the NPP was colluding with some members of the commission to steal. The outcome has been great for us, and we’ve won. The question is but for those interventions what would have happen?”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
He reiterated the importance of uncovering the source of the illegal ballot papers and ensuring accountability. He questioned;
“Who printed the 500,000 or more ballot papers? Who printed them? As we speak, we do not know who was holding that particular ballot paper or ballot papers that led to the reprinting of the Eastern and Western Region ballot papers.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Call for Electoral Reforms
Dr. Boamah urged the Electoral Commission to initiate immediate reforms. He emphasized;
“There are several steps to be traversed in order to enhance the credibility of our electoral processes. We believe that the commission will not go and rest and wait for another four years only to come back and repeat the mistakes that led us into this election.
Ask Dr. Bossman whether I did not call him and demand that, for the pink sheets that were not going to be used, the presiding officers should cross them and write ‘canceled.’ Ask them whether they ever produced the Excel formula that was even going to be used to calculate the final results.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Looking forward, Dr. Boamah expressed optimism about the incoming administration of President-elect John Dramani Mahama. He eulogized;
“Fortunately, we have President Mahama going to be sworn in on January 7th. You know him. He’s not somebody who is going to be influencing institutions to do his bidding. He is a democrat par excellence.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Dr. Boamah urged the outgoing NPP administration to respect the democratic will of the people stating;
“The NPP will recognize the fact that there’s a government in waiting. Ghanaians have demonstrated clearly that they were a sham of a government.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
He cautioned against complacency and urged the EC to undertake introspection and implement robust measures to address systemic flaws in Ghana’s electoral processes. He added;
“Until we get to the bottom of these nefarious activities, democracy will continue to be just a selection, because people clandestinely collude with people who have been in lawful authority to cheat citizens [and] steal their mandate from them.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
The vigilance and strategic interventions of the NDC, he concluded, had not only secured victory for the party but also highlighted the need for lasting electoral reforms.
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