Solomon Owusu, a member of the Movement for Change (M4C), has alleged that the Electoral Commission (EC) has presented to Ghanaians a bloated register.
He noted that the recent limited registration exercise and the figures put out by the EC combined with the existing names on the register exceed the number of voters in Ghana.
Mr. Owusu said that per the data provided by the Ghana Statistical Service and the figures put out by the EC, the register is bloated.
The Electoral Commission (EC) recorded 778,447 new voters in the recent limited registration exercise, bringing the total number of valid voters on the register to over 18.6 million.
The Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Jean Mensa, disclosed this when she appeared before Parliament a few weeks ago to brief them on their activities.
But Samuel Owusu says, “The current register is bloated. First of all, the Statistical Service has released its data, informing us that the population of Ghana is 34 million. This means that the population between zero and 17 years old is almost 45%. And so, if you deduct that figure out of the entire population and compare it to the number of people registered so far, it is questionable. It means that people are not dying, and it is strange. This shows that somebody wants to manipulate the electoral processes”.
He was, however, quick to add that if someone can rig the elections, then it would take your polling agents.
He stressed the need for political parties to present qualified and well-trained agents to represent them during the elections, so they will strictly monitor the process.
“If anyone rigs the elections, your agents would also be a factor. That is why at M4C we have decided to use well-trained agents for the upcoming December 7 presidential and parliamenatry elections. People are hungry and will do anything for money, so if you use people who can easily be influenced by money, then you will have to blame yourself as a political party.”
He also underscored the need for the Electoral Commission to conduct a free, fair, and transparent election on December 7, 2024.
He posited that it is the responsibility of the electoral body to conduct transparent elections, which would not be disputed.
Mr. Owusu noted that if the EC conducts a credible process, all stakeholders will accept the results.
He said political parties should also not engage in acts that will undermine the stability of the polls.
“It is the responsibility of the EC to conduct free, fair, transparent, and credible elections. That is their constitutional mandate. It is their responsibility to do so.”
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