The National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by John Mahama, has declared that the party will not back the plan to move the 2024 election date from December to November.
“We [NDC] do not believe that this is being proposed in good faith,” he said.
Addressing the minority caucus meeting in Ho on Saturday, February 10, 2024, Mahama asserted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was exhibiting signs of anticipating defeat and had initiated efforts to discredit the upcoming elections.
He cited the Electoral Commission’s sudden proposal to change the election date from December 7 to November 7, despite not demonstrating readiness for the general elections, as one such attempt.
Mahama highlighted the evident lack of preparedness displayed during the District Assembly elections in December of the previous year. He emphasized the presence of fundamental errors and significant logistical deficiencies, indicating the Electoral Commission’s inability to effectively manage electoral processes.
Expressing confidence, Mahama stated that all indications suggested a decisive victory for the NDC in the 2024 elections. He asserted that the people of Ghana would unmistakably reject the governance of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP administration, which, in his view, had delivered inadequate governance to the nation.
Concerning the matter of ongoing registration, as advocated by the EC, Mahama insisted that the procedure should incorporate a mechanism allowing all political parties and pertinent stakeholders to actively monitor the process in real-time. This, he argued, would prevent fraud and manipulation that could unfairly benefit any party.
While the EC proposed the date change to improve operational efficiency, particularly in the event of a runoff, the NDC objected, asserting that Dr. Bossman Asare’s announcement did not accurately reflect the consensus reached regarding the commencement year for significant electoral reforms, which was agreed to be November 2028.