Rev. Dr Ernest Adu Gyamfi, Chairman of the National Peace Council, has advised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to formally present their concerns regarding the voter register to the Electoral Commission (EC) rather than airing grievances publicly.
Dr Gyamfi emphasized the importance of engaging directly with the EC to resolve issues, suggesting that public protests do not contribute to solving the problem.
“The most important thing is to go to the discussion table and put out the issues there. Just putting them in the public domain does not solve any problem,” he said in an interview on 3FM’s Hot Edition.
He recommended that the NDC allow the EC to complete its current voter register clean-up efforts before seeking further action.
“Let them finish the clean-up, and if errors persist, I believe everyone in this country will agree with you,” he said. Dr. Gyamfi stressed that presenting identified errors for correction would be more productive than calling for an audit without addressing the existing issues first.
The NDC has planned a nationwide “Enough is Enough” demonstration on Tuesday, September 17, to protest the EC’s refusal to conduct an independent forensic audit of the provisional voter register.
The EC’s rejection followed a closed-door meeting with the NDC, during which the party raised concerns about alleged discrepancies in the voter roll.
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the NDC’s Director of Elections, expressed disappointment over the EC’s decision, arguing that a forensic audit is crucial for restoring confidence in the electoral process.
“They have not accepted the independent forensic audit request,” Dr. Boamah stated.
The NDC claims that the provisional register contains illegal transfers that could jeopardize the fairness of the 2024 elections and has called for transparency through independent audit involvement.
Dr. Boamah likened the need for an external audit to a medical referral, stating, “The very doctor who created the problem should not be the doctor that will resolve the problem.”
He noted that development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), are willing to support the audit, contingent upon the EC’s request.
Despite the NDC’s calls for an independent audit, the EC remains steadfast in its decision not to proceed with one.
Rev. Dr. Gyamfi suggested that the NDC’s grievances be addressed during Wednesday’s scheduled Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.
He explained, “We were working towards a possible IPAC meeting today [September 16] to resolve all the issues, but the NDC thought it would disrupt their protest plans. The EC also had challenges with the L.I regulating nomination filings.”
He reiterated the importance of utilizing the upcoming IPAC meeting to resolve outstanding issues. “We hope that the NDC will present its grievances at that meeting for review,” Dr. Gyamfi concluded.
