A founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of the Electoral Commission’s (EC) actions, which he believes could destabilize Ghana’s democracy.
Speaking at an anti-corruption event at the GNAT Hall in Accra on Monday, September 2, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe expressed grave concerns about the EC’s conduct ahead of the 2024 general elections.
“I am saying at the moment, the greatest threat to our democracy is the Electoral Commission, and if we are not careful, they will lead this country into destruction, mark my words,” he cautioned.
He highlighted recent actions by the Commission that he perceives as threats to the nation’s democratic stability.
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe, who has witnessed and been involved in coup d’états in Ghana, emphasized the seriousness of his warning by referencing his past experiences.
“I’ve seen coup d’etat in this country, I have been part of coup d’etat in this country, and I know what I’m talking about. I spent almost five years of my life in prison,” he stated, highlighting the potential dangers of the current situation.
He pointed to specific incidents, including the alleged unauthorized transfers of voters from one constituency to another, as examples of the EC’s mishandling of the electoral process.
“How on earth can transfers be made from one particular constituency to another without the consent of others? These are facts,” he questioned.
This comes at a time when the Electoral Commission (EC) has admitted to a significant error in compiling the provisional voters’ register for the 2024 elections, acknowledging that a technical glitch led to the inclusion of incorrect data.
During a press briefing on Monday, September 2, Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, addressed the issue, explaining the root cause and the steps taken to rectify it.
Dr. Asare revealed that the provisional voter register shared with political parties included both a “transfers voters list” and an “absent voters list” for each polling station. The transfers list was meant to capture voters who had been moved from one polling station to another, while the absent voters list accounted for those who had either transferred their votes or were involved in special voting.
However, the EC encountered a technical issue during the preparation of the 2024 exhibition, which mistakenly incorporated all transfers made since 2020. This error resulted in a higher-than-expected number of voters being classified as transferred or absent, raising concerns among stakeholders about the accuracy of the register.
Dr. Asare assured the public that the EC has corrected this anomaly and will provide the amended transfer and absent voters lists to the political parties.