Incontrovertible evidence provided has revealed that there were more missing names and duplicate voter ID numbers among others during the exhibition of the 2012 biometric voters’ register.
Consequently, the Member of Parliament for Akwapim South, Mr O. B. Amoah and the Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Serebour Quaicoe have both rejected claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the compilation of the 2020 new voters’ register has been a ‘monumental failure’.
The two responded to NDC’s claim on Joy News’ Newsfile programme on Saturday with NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi as a co-panelist.
Mr O. Amoah who is also a Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development advised the NDC not to mislead Ghanaians on voter registration, reiterating that problems such as missing names or duplicated voter ID numbers and other anomalies were not new phenomena.
For instance, a compilation of the errors with the 2012 register by the EC indicated that missing names alone were detected in 152 districts across the country in 2012 compared to about 100 districts in 2020.
Again in 2012, the same Voter ID number for multiples of voters in the same polling station were detected at La Dade-kotopon, Akwapim South, Fanteakwa, Hohoe, Jasikan, Asikuma Odoben, Tema Metro, Keta and Tano North.
Displacement of voters to other polling stations other than where they registered were detected at Nandom, Adenta, Ayawaso West & Central, Jomoro, Ashiedu Keteke and Agona East.
Pictures did not appear in the register for persons in Tamale North, Central Tongu, Kumbungu, Atiwa.
Swapping of pictures of voters in polling stations were detected at Bekwei, Kwabre East, Sunyani Municipal, Jaman South, Asutifi North
Issues of voters with multiple ID numbers across polling stations came up at Garu, Tempane, Nanton, Karaga, Suaman, Asuogyaman, East Akim.
Duplicate Voter ID numbers were detected in Ga West, Ho Municipal, Manpong, Bantama, Savelugu, Tema Metro, Atwima Nwabiagya which was addressed by reprinting new voter ID cards at the time.
NDC’s claim
The opposition NDC had claimed that over 30,000 people could not find their names in the register displayed for the public to check their names in the party’s strongholds.
The party’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi whilst speaking on the Newsfile programme, criticised the EC and expressed fears that people could end up disenfranchised by the EC’s ‘failures.’
However, EC’s Director of Electoral Services, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, responded that the errors identified during the exhibition exercise cannot be used to lambast the EC.
He explained that objective of the exhibition exercise is to identify errors and correct them.
According to him, the problems identified goes to show that the compilation of a new register is yet to be completed.
He maintained that the registration processes could only be said to have been completed after a final register is printed.
Dr Quaicoe said the systems implemented by the EC will address each error without legitimate applicants being disenfranchised.
John Mahama misled
The Akwapim South MP pointed out that “in 2012 corrections alone were 200,686 which resulted in the printing of new cards” and new “inclusions 7,318”.
Mr O. B. Amoah said former President Mahama has been misled on the voters’ register by people who should know better.
This attitude, he noted, is a grand scheme by the NDC to reject the 2020 election when it loses.
