Di leading opposition party for Ghana don begin a planned big demonstration across di 16 regions of di kontri against di voters register wia di kontri electoral commission wan use for di 7 December 2024 elections.
Di demonstrators for Accra, don dey match through di streets wit dia red shirts, for dis #EnoughIsEnough demo.
Dem also wear red hats and armbands wia dey show say dem dey vex for di EC.
Some of dem don carry placards wia dem write tins like “enough is enough”, “protect my vote”, “AuditVotersRegisterNow”, “Free and fair elections”, “EC must be fair”, “Don’t rig 2024 election”.
Di leaders go present petition to di speaker of parliament wia dem also go present anoda one to di electoral commission chairperson for im office.
Di commission also bin send memo to all dia 16 regions say make officers dey on standby to receive dis petition for di various EC offices for di regions.
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Di national democratic congress (NDC) bin tok say di current voters register dey bloated wey e get ghost names.
Director of elections of di NDC Dr Omane Boamah, don tok say, di party find plenty wahala wit di register during di recent exhibition exercise across di kontri.
According to di party, dem don find among oda tins say almost one million ghost names dey on top di register wia di electoral commission also bin “illegally transfer pipo dia votes from dia constituency and district without dia knowledge.”
Na so dem don dey call for wetin dem describe as “forensic audit of di register” bifor di election for December.
“We believe say di same referee wey create di problem no be di one to address di mata,” Oga Omane Boamah tok.
Im add say, “di electoral commission get to gree make anoda independent body audit di register, if dey no dey hide anything.”
Opposition leader and presidential candidate for di NDC, John Mahama tok say make citizens join di demonstration.
“Di only way to get di EC to sit up na to put pressure on dem – dis demonstration no be for my party di NDC alone, na for all Ghanaians,” John Mahama tok during im campaign rally.
But di electoral commission don reject di request by di opposition NDC for “forensic audit” of di register.
EC describe di request as ‘misguided and premature’
According to di electoral body, “di public exhibition of di voters register be part of di process to identify and correct errors and oda mistakes inside di register.”
Deputy commissioner of di EC Oga Samuel Tettey bin tok say “di demonstration by di NDC neva be di way to resolve di issue.”
Im tok say, “di commission bin ask di opposition party many times say make dem provide data on di wahala dem say dem find inside di voters register, so we fit to compare to wetin we get for our own system; but di party neva give we dia report.”
As pressure bin dey mount on top di electoral commission, dem don tok say make di opposition party “come to di table” make dem tok about di mata, but di party say unless dem gree to forensic audit of di register, dem no go rest.
Odas support forensic audit of di voters register
Already, some of di presidential candidates for di 7 December 2024 election bin support di leading opposition party im request.
One of dem na ‘Movement for change’ presidential candidate Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.
“Na only extensive audit go remove doubt inside di mind of pipo ova dis mata, wey e go ensure di credibility of di register we go use for di election,” Alan Kyerematen bin tok.
Oda civil society groups also join dia voice say make di EC audit di register.
Di civic forum initiative say di “independent investigation of di voters register go be di solution since di commission and di opposition party no dey gree on di mata.”
But as dis groups dey demonstrate, two oda pro-goment groups tok say dem go organize counter demonstration on di same day.
Di ‘fixing of di kontri movement’ and ‘patriotic troopers’ say dem go do demo to support di EC, wey dem tok say di commission “dey under attack from di opposition NDC for nothing.”
During di recent voter registration exercise across di kontri, di electoral commission bin register 459,291 pipo, wey add to di existing 17 million voters.
But di opposition parties say di register don dey bloated.
Police warn protestors say make dey no cause kasala for di demo
Di Ghana police for one press conference bifor di demonstration bin tok say dem don gree wit leaders of di demonstration ova di routes wey dem go use.
“We don engage di leaders ova di demo for all di 16 regional capitals, wia we don tok di organisers say make dem follow di law.”
Di police bin add say, “if dem destroy any public property during di demo, di opposition party go pay for di wahala.”
“Any pesin wey go join dis demo gat to conduct diasef well to avoid confusion, disorder and obstruction of traffic,” di police statement add.
Police director for public affairs, ACP Grace Ansah-Akrofi also add say, “di police go ensure law and order and security throughout di demo across all di 16 regions.”
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