The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is facing challenges in compiling a credible voter register for its primaries as the register is riddled with discrepancies and inaccuracies.
According to a suit filed by Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a flagbearer hopeful of the party, the register is not fit for purpose and therefore it should be audited.
The suit seeks an injunction against the upcoming presidential primaries scheduled for Saturday, May 13, 2023.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has already pulled out of the organisation of the contest.
Per details of the document shared by Accra-based television station, Metro TV flagship evening programme, Good Evening Ghana, the Duffuor team alleges that 54 per cent of delegates in the photo album are yet to be validated, 2 per cent of names have been added to the register, and 28 per cent of the delegates have no information on their background.
Additionally, 26 per cent of delegates are missing from the register, and there are duplicate pictures, voter IDs, and unidentified persons added to the register.
The former Finance Minister has identified several flaws, including the use of the same photograph for multiple people and male pictures being used for female delegates.
One of such flaws identified by Dr. Duffuor is same photograph used for one Agambiri Robert, a 46-year-old whose photograph has been used for another delegate by name Roger Anamoo, with the same reddish shirt with a white collar.
Another flaw is one Akologo James Atibire, a Youth Organiser and Apala Atingalebigia whose position is member, who have the same photograph of someone who looks like a female.
Also, Isaac Nyaney, a 28-year-old Youth Organiser and Alfred Sogodo having the same age and what appears as the same photograph.
These are some of the few discrepancies and inaccuracies reported to have flooded the voter register of the NDC, which the party intended to use for its elections.
A 46-year-old Akosua Agyapong, position, Treasurer, who has a male picture, same as Joshua Yawson, a Secretary, Isaac Nyamekye, Youth Organiser and Abdulai Sulemana, a Chairman, who were having photos which appear like females in the register, as well as a picture like that of a male with the name Gifty Baah of High Tension Pentecost Church, Ayigbe Town polling station.
There was another photo of a supposed female who was named as Charles Essel and one Emmanuel Quaye Baidoo with a female photo.
Dr. Duffuor has filed an interlocutory injunction against the election and is demanding that the Electoral Commission halt the primaries until a complete photo album register is produced.
In his legal suit filed on May 9, 2023, Dr. Duffuor explained that only 220 out of the 275 constituencies had been verified, with an exceptional list of 74,799 that could not undergo verification due to scanty information about them in the Photo Album Register.
Dr. Duffuor also alleged that 3,910 eligible voters had been disenfranchised from the 220 constituencies for no credible reason. Additionally, a considerable number of eligible voters had no photographs presented on the register, making verification impossible.
Furthermore, Dr. Duffuor asserts that the photo album presented by the party’s election committee with the “knowledge, consent, and tacit” approval of the General Secretary of the party would compromise the election’s integrity.
He states that the party’s reluctance to provide a complete and credible photo album register ahead of time to the presidential aspirants for verification is an attempt to create an undue advantage for manipulation of the presidential primaries.
The NDC’s leadership has pledged to address concerns raised by Dr. Duffuor, but he maintains that the election is flawed and intends to proceed with his injunction.
By Vincent Kubi