NDC stalwart, Mr. Novihoho Afaglo, has urged the National Peace Council and other stakeholders to heighten their scrutiny and exert pressure on the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure the safeguarding of electoral integrity and transparency in the electoral process.
Mr. Afaglo raised alarm over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) recent controversies, citing the mysterious loss of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) machines, glaring irregularities in the limited voter registration exercise, and dubious vote transfer procedures, which he believes threaten the credibility of the electoral process.
As such, he cautioned that if these issues are not promptly and effectively addressed, they could escalate into full-blown violence and undermine the peace and stability of the 2024 general elections, with potentially devastating consequences for the nation.
Furthermore, Afaglo lambasted the Electoral Commission (EC), under the stewardship of Mrs. Jean Mensa, for brazenly disregarding and failing to implement critical proposals mutually agreed upon during the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting, demonstrating a troubling lack of transparency and collaboration.
He pointed to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) disorderly handling of the 2020 elections, marked by multiple alterations to official results, as a stark illustration of a disturbing trend of dubious practices, eroding trust in the electoral process and fueling concerns about the Commission’s credibility and reliability.
“So, it is no wonder for the Commission to be churning out error figures during the limited voter registration exercise. It is high time Ghanaians, especially the National Peace Council and all peace-loving people, put serious pressure on the Commission and begin to monitor all their activities before they plunge the country into civil war”.
Mr. Novihoho Afaglo
Afaglo made a startling allegation, accusing the Electoral Commission (EC) of clandestine collusion with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), effectively rigging the electoral process to secure a victory for the incumbent party, thereby undermining the very fabric of Ghana’s democracy and the principles of free and fair elections.
Afaglo further alleged that the Electoral Commission’s actions were tainted by a sinister intent to disenfranchise voters in strongholds of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), claiming that defective machines were deliberately deployed to those areas during the voter registration exercise, thereby suppressing votes and unfairly tipping the scales in favor of the ruling party.
NDC Voters Face Intimidation And Disenfranchisement
Furthermore, Mr. Novihoho Afaglo alleged that voters in areas loyal to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) faced intimidation tactics, while registration centers were deliberately located in remote areas, far from communities, in a bid to dissuade and disenfranchise eligible voters, further stacking the odds against the opposition party.
Mr. Afaglo denounced the Electoral Commission’s (EC) move to bar political parties from witnessing the vote transfer process, effectively shrouding it in secrecy.
He also criticized the EC for preventing parties from verifying the serial numbers of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) machines, potentially enabling the reappearance of previously missing machines on Election Day.
“How can the EC say it will not allow parties to observe the transfer of votes and also deny parties from taking stock of BVR serial numbers to ensure that the missing ones do not resurface during Election Day?”
Mr. Novihoho Afaglo
Accordingly, Mr. Afaglo urged civil society organizations, the National Peace Council, and religious groups to end their silence and publicly demand that the Electoral Commission (EC) take responsibility for its actions, advocating for a transparent and fair electoral process that reflects the will of the people.
“It is time we wake up from our deep sleep and begin to demand from the EC to do the right things to ensure a peaceful and transparent election”. – Mr. Novihoho Afaglo
Mr. Afaglo reiterated that to guarantee a peaceful and credible election in December, it is imperative that the Electoral Commission (EC) is held accountable and its actions scrutinized, to prevent any potential electoral malfeasance and ensure a free and fair democratic process.
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