The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has expressed concerns about the credibility of Electoral Commission of Ghana regarding the Commission’s Credibility Voter Registration (BVR) Kits.
His doubts were raised at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, May 9, in light of the recent theft of biometric voter registration (BVR) kits.
During his address, Mr. Nketia emphasized that the NDC had raised the issue of the stolen kits with the Electoral Commission and requested an emergency Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting. However, he stated that the EC dismissed their claims, prompting the party to seek further answers and assurances regarding the registration process.
In response, the Electoral Commission assured the NDC that measures had been put in place to maintain transparency during the voter registration process. Nevertheless, Mr. Nketia remained skeptical of the Commission’s assurances.
He highlighted the importance of ensuring trustworthiness in the election process, emphasizing that it should not rely solely on faith in the EC. The NDC Chairman called for heightened scrutiny of the EC’s operations and preparedness for the upcoming December 2024 elections, stressing the need for transparency and fairness.
Remarks by the National Democratic Congress Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia
Therefore the EC cannot expect the NDC to believe and trust that all is well with their equipment and their preparations getting into the 2024 December election, we must keep vigilance on every step that EC takes moving towards the December election. NDC Chairman remarked
Response from Electoral Commission of Ghana
Releasing these serial numbers to any external parties, including political entities, poses a substantial risk to the security and integrity of our registration processes. That is why this has never been done since biometric voting system was introduced in Ghana.
The Electoral Commission has nothing to hide. It is important to note that the demand for serial numbers of BVRs, if granted, could pose major risks to the security and integrity of our electoral system and operations. Prevention of such risks by declining this request, far outweighs any concerns and interests of individual stakeholders
We all know that parliament has had to go on break abruptly, so again not much progress has been made along that path, releasing serial numbers of BVR kits dangerous – EC tells NDC
