The Coalition of Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO) has emphasized that the post-declaration computational errors by the Electoral Commission do not in any way affect its Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT).
Via a press release issued today, December 15, 2020, signed by the National Coordinator, Albert Arhin, for and on behalf of the Advisory Board of CODEO Secretariat, it noted that its PTV is based on data brought in by the Coalition’s polling agents hence, it is independent of any foreign body.
The statement further read that, the “passive publication” of the Electoral Commission will not cut it in allaying the doubt in the minds of Ghanaians. It advised the Commission to hold a public event to address the matters arising.
“In its [EC] press release on December 10, 2020, the EC stated that ‘The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission inadvertently used 13,433,573 as the total valid votes cast. The total valid votes cast is 13,119,460.’ CODEO finds these computational errors on the part of the EC very unfortunate, as they create room for doubt about the integrity of the presidential election results declared by the Commission on December 9, 2020 and other disputed parliamentary results. CODEO is of the view that, given what is at stake, the EC must go beyond passive publication of a press release to hold a public event to address the underlying issues with respect to the computational errors identified, so as to allay any lingering concerns and doubts.
“In addition, the Coalition urges the EC to ensure that source documents signed by the political parties, which support the instrument of declaration, are consistent with the tally sheet for the collation of the national results for the presidential candidates.
“CODEO wishes to emphasize that the post-declaration errors detected and corrected by the Electoral Commission do not in any way affect the Coalition’s PVT estimates as shared on Thursday, December 10, 2020. The PVT is based on polling station data submitted by CODEO stationary Polling Station Observers who witnessed the counting and declaration of those results, having observed the processes of voting during the course of the day. CODEO has absolute confidence in its PVT estimates, reaffirms the results that it has already published and assures the public that the results declared by the EC closely match the Coalition’s PVT estimates.
“The final results released by the EC after correcting the detected errors in the original declaration still fall within the confidence range of CODEO’s PVT estimates, and thus further provides CODEO the confidence to reaffirm its position on the PVT estimates,” the statement read.
The Coalition also registered its appall in the “unwarranted online attack” on its Acting Chair, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu who also happens to be the spokesperson for the Office of the National Chief Imam.
The Coalition said “The views expressed by Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu on the PVT findings do not represent the view of the Office of the National Chief Imam or his personal view, but rather the collective decision of the CODEO Advisory Board representing the 42-member organizations of CODEO. CODEO condemns the attacks on the person of Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, who presented the PVT estimates in his capacity as the Acting Chair of CODEO.”
