By Rachel Kakraba
The Election Situation Room, ESR of the National Peace Council and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, WANEP, says reports of a viral video, shared by an X user, which alleges people resisting security manipulation at the Aflao border in the Volta Region, are misleading.
It says though the closure of the border has left some Ghanaians stranded, between the Ghana-Togo borders, there is, however, no evidence of resistance to security manipulation.
The ESR also says a claim of a vehicle en route to the Hohoe constituency, allegedly impounded with fake ballot papers, is also misleading, explaining that sources from the police indicate that the vehicle in question was transporting EC officials and directional materials, including inactivated BVDs. It adds that the EC stated that the officials should have transported the items in official vehicles.
Chairman of the Election Situation Room, ESR, who doubles as Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, stated this during a news conference which addressed observations of the ESR at the opening of polls.
He encouraged the National Election Security Taskforce to increase its presence in all the affected areas to maintain law and order for voting to proceed unhindered.
Presenting highlights of reports received, Rev. Adu-Gyamfi said that as at 10:25 a.m., 300 observers reported on the opening of polls across the country. Out of the number, 63 percent opened polls on time at 7 a.m., with the remaining ones doing so between 7:20 and 9:50 a.m.
“For example, in the Oti Region, the DA Primary School Ofosu 2 (polling station code: L072602B) opened at 9:30 am.”
He added, “despite some polling stations being unable to open on time, most EC officials observed all laid-out electoral procedures outlined by law. These include the presence of all polling officials and the display of empty ballot boxes in front of voters.
He said there was a good representation of females at polling stations, either as EC officials or party agents. Rev. Adu-Gyamfi added that the joint observer groups also reported that consideration was given to persons living with disability, the elderly, pregnant and lactating mothers.
He further stated, “As the polls opened, many polling stations recorded an average of 53 voters in queue in observed constituencies. There was also report of the presence of Domestic Observers at polling stations, mainly from CODEO, NPC, NCCE, CHRAJ, National Catholic Secretariat, WANEP, IDEG as well as observers from AU and ECOWAS Observer Missions.
Technical incidents
Rev. Adu-Gyamfi mentioned some technical incidents that were reported in some constituencies.
“In the Assemblies of God polling station (code: H010304A) in the Abromem electoral area in the Asunafo South Constituency in the Ahafo region, a former DCE is alleged to have been moving around the polling station accompanied by five police officers with face masks and guns.”
“In the Ho Polytechnic Ho Have 2 (Code: D121207) at Bosontoe electoral area in the Ho Central constituency, a voter was caught taking a shot of his ballot paper after voting. A security Officer deleted the pictures and returned the phone to the voter.”
Security threats
“At the Mur –Fatawu polling station, (code R111007) in West Natinga, within the Bawku Central constituency in the Upper East Region, the NDC Polling Agents were reportedly absent earlier due to threats of possible attacks, linked to the Bawku conflict. However, the NDC party agents arrived following the arrival of security officers at the polling station and polls began around 9:40am. Additional information indicated that voters have refused to vote in the parliamentary Elections, claiming that both candidates are from one ethnic group.”
“At Manga Electoral Area, (Code: R150501B) in the Binduri constituency of the Upper East Region, gunmen are reported to be threatening people not to vote for the NPP unless they want to die. On 3rd December, they fired warning shots in the community, and this was repeated on 5th of December at 9:00 pm.”
“At Joan Preparatory School, Pepease, Villa 1, (Code B120508) in the Awutu Senya East Constituency of the Central Region, an NPP Party Agent wanted to sit closer to the EC Officer (voter verification officer), but he was asked to go back, yet he refused. The Security personnel present resolved this by allocating a place for all party agents to sit till the close of the polls.”
“At the GES Viepe- Tokor polling station (code D031403) in the Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region, an NPP agent blocked the route to the voting area with a plastic Chair and voter, and this led to verbal exchanges. The matter was resolved by the security officers using dialogue.”
Rev. Adu-Gyamfi revealed that the ESR Decision Room has, since the beginning of the polls, been engaging all the relevant stakeholders for an amicable resolution of some of the incidents.
“The ESR Decision Room has, since the beginning of the polls, been engaging the EC, the National Election Security Taskforce, and other relevant stakeholders on these incidents, leading to the resolution of some of the incidents while others are ongoing.”
Rev. Adu-Gyamfi encouraged all registered voters to go out there and exercise their franchise before the close of polls.
As part of initiatives for monitoring, analysing, and mitigating electoral violence as well as contributing to a peaceful and credible election, WANEP, the National Peace Council, and their partners have deployed 510 accredited observers across all the regions of Ghana.
The Election Situation Room is supported by the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, and with complementary funding from the governments of Sweden, Austria, and the United Kingdom. It is a coordinated Election Observation Platform for the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ghana, all aimed at promoting incident-free and peaceful polls.
