Benjamin Bano-Bioh, the Director of Electoral Services at Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), has recently addressed concerns raised by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the accessibility of the provisional voter register.
The NDC accused the EC of withholding the register ahead of its scheduled public exhibition, leading to tensions between the party and the Commission. On Tuesday, August 20, Mr. Bano-Bioh took to the media to clarify the EC’s position and dispel the accusations made by the NDC. He emphasized that the Commission had strictly adhered to the legal timelines set out by Ghanaian electoral laws for the distribution of the provisional voter register to political parties.
Mr. Bano-Bioh stressed that this timeframe is essential to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the register before it is shared.
“The law requires that after any registration exercise, after you have compiled a voter roll, we have within three months to give copies of the provisional voter register to the political parties,” Mr. Bano-Bioh stated during his media engagement.
Mr. Bano-Bioh further noted that the limited voter registration exercise had concluded in May, which meant that the EC was still well within its legal timeframe to provide the provisional register.
To further justify the EC’s actions, Mr. Bano-Bioh highlighted that the Commission had conducted a mop-up registration following the initial voter registration exercise. This additional step, he explained, was necessary to ensure that the voter register was as accurate as possible before it was distributed to the political parties.
The mop-up registration aimed to address any discrepancies or omissions in the voter data, thus safeguarding the credibility of the electoral process.
“The most important thing was for us to ensure that we get a very clean voter register, which we have done,” Mr. Bano-Bioh remarked. He underlined that the integrity of the voter register is a fundamental pillar in ensuring the success of any election. Therefore, the EC’s actions were in line with its commitment to maintaining a transparent and credible electoral process.
Commitment to Credible Elections
Bano-Bioh also took the opportunity to reiterate the EC’s unwavering commitment to ensuring clean and credible elections.
“A clean voter register is one of the main pillars for ensuring successful elections, and that is what the Electoral Commission is bent on doing, and so we have not faulted; we are still within the law.”
Benjamin Bano-Bioh, the Director of Electoral Services at EC
The NDC’s concerns stem from their belief that the EC had deliberately delayed providing them access to the provisional register, potentially undermining their preparations for the upcoming public exhibition.
“Even if you look at it, the deadline would have ended on August 29, but we gave it to them yesterday; other political parties are also coming for theirs. So, we have not gone beyond what the law provides and we are still within the law.”
Benjamin Bano-Bioh, the Director of Electoral Services at EC
Mr. Bano-Bioh’s comments were aimed at quelling any doubts about the EC’s compliance with the legal provisions governing the distribution of the voter register.
The exhibition of the voter register, which started today, Tuesday, August 20, and to be completed Tuesday, August 27, is a crucial period for political parties to review the register and verify the accuracy of the voter data.
With political parties keenly aware of the importance of a credible voter register, the EC’s role in maintaining transparency and adhering to legal procedures is under constant observation. Benjamin Bano-Bioh’s clarifications and assurances are part of the EC’s efforts to uphold its reputation as a neutral and law-abiding institution committed to facilitating free and fair elections in Ghana.
