The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has intensified preparations for its upcoming constituency and regional elections scheduled for October and November, with the party prioritising the validation of its voter register and resolution of outstanding internal disputes.
The party’s Acting Director of IT and Elections, Mahdi Jibril, said the NDC is in the final stages of preparing a provisional register that will be released to stakeholders for validation before the final document is produced.
According to him, the exercise is intended to ensure that the register accurately reflects eligible party members and provides a credible basis for the upcoming internal elections.
“After this exercise, the party will have a final register to be used for the upcoming constituency and regional elections. This two-stage approach, provisional release followed by validation, demonstrates an attempt to minimize disputes and to build trust in the electoral process before voting begins”.
NDC Acting Director of IT and Elections, Mahdi Jibril
The approach is also expected to provide greater certainty over who qualifies to participate in the elections and help the party address potential disagreements before voting begins.
Aspirants to Access Register After Vetting
Mr. Jibril disclosed that aspirants will only receive access to the voter register after completing the party’s vetting process. He said the policy is intended to ensure that sensitive party data is made available only to candidates who have been officially cleared to contest.
The measure is also expected to prevent premature campaigning based on incomplete information and reduce the potential misuse of the register. According to Mr. Jibril, controlling access to the register forms part of the party’s broader effort to maintain discipline, protect electoral information and create a level playing field for all cleared aspirants.
He said the approach could also minimise disagreements over the register and contribute to a more orderly internal election process. Beyond preparations for the voter register, Mr. Jibril said the party has also been addressing legal challenges that emerged during its previous branch and constituency-level elections.
He acknowledged that some branches and constituencies encountered legal disputes during the earlier stages of the internal elections but said the party’s legal team has worked to resolve the outstanding matters.
He stressed that resolving such disputes before the next phase is critical to preventing unresolved grievances from affecting participation or creating divisions among members.
The party is also continuing to address pending branch, polling station and related elections before moving fully into the constituency and regional contests. Mr. Jibril said the approach is intended to ensure that questions about who qualifies to vote or contest are settled before the elections advance to the next level.
Eight-Month Grassroots Exercise
The Acting Director said the NDC spent more than eight months conducting its branch elections, describing the extended process as deliberate rather than accidental. He explained that the party sought to ensure that the grassroots elections were conducted thoroughly, participatorily and in accordance with its rules.
According to him, branch elections form the foundation of the party’s organisational structure because they determine representation at the polling station level and provide members with a voice in subsequent levels of party decision-making.
He said the investment of time at the grassroots was therefore intended to strengthen the foundation upon which the constituency and regional elections would be conducted. The party’s continued work on outstanding internal elections also reflects an emphasis on completing the process comprehensively rather than prioritising speed.
Technology to Strengthen Electoral Management
Mr. Jibril’s role as Acting Director of IT and Elections also highlights the growing importance of technology and data management in the NDC’s internal electoral processes.
A credible and well-maintained digital register can help reduce risks associated with duplicate entries, ineligible voters and other forms of electoral irregularities.
The planned validation exercise is therefore expected to provide an opportunity for the party to strengthen the accuracy of its membership data before the constituency and regional elections.
Effective data management could also provide the NDC with a stronger foundation for organising future internal elections and improving its broader organisational capacity.
NDC Targets Free and Fair Elections
Mr. Jibril said the overarching objective of the preparations is to give party members confidence that the upcoming constituency elections will be free and fair.
He noted that poorly managed internal elections can result in disputes, litigation, apathy and divisions, while credible internal processes can strengthen party unity and grassroots mobilisation.
The NDC’s focus on validating the register, resolving legal disputes, regulating access to electoral information and completing outstanding grassroots elections reflects an attempt to strengthen its internal electoral administration.
The party is expected to hold its constituency elections in October, followed by regional elections in November. While some internal elections remain outstanding, the NDC maintains that the preparatory measures are intended to create a credible platform for the next phase of its internal electoral process.
If successfully implemented, the process could strengthen confidence among party members, improve organisational discipline and position the NDC for a more coordinated approach to future political activities.
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