The Deputy Eastern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Nana Oduro Numapau, has outlined some lapses identified in the 2024 general election. These include, late arrival of ballot papers and other election materials, party agents instructing EC Officials on what to do, inadequate storage space for officers, access to vehicles, tugs invading collation centers and destruction of pink sheets, compelling Returning Officers to in some cases mis declare results, and inadequate security at the polling stations.
The Deputy Eastern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission made these observations at a Regional Consultative Forum on post-election accountability held in Koforidua, in the Eastern Region.
The forum among other things sought to assess the outcome of the 2024 elections and engage stakeholders on critical governance and accountability issues. This initiative is rooted in NETRIGHT’S feminist mobilizing strategies, which prioritizes amplifying the voice of women, young persons, and socially excluded groups to demand gender responsive, inclusive and accountable governance. The forum adopted a participatory approach for all stakeholders to dialogue on post-election, coupled with a comprehensive recommendation for policy and legislative reforms to enhance electoral integrity. Deputy Regional Director of the EC, Nana Oduro Numapau, said the 2024 election overall met the expectation of stakeholders. Furthermore, the needed materials including the biometric verification device functioned effectively. Most critically, the National Security played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the elections by establishing regional and district task forces.
The EC Deputy Chairperson however, noted that despite the security at the Collation Centers, disturbances occurred in four Constituencies, namely Suhum, Fanteakwa North, Akwatia and Nsawam-Adoagyiri. He recommended a more robust security arrangement to ensure that security plans are developed and implemented in consultation with stakeholders.
The Eastern Regional Representative of NETRIGHT, Alhassan Nuhu, stated, that the post- election period presents a crucial opportunity to evaluate the electoral process and identify areas for improvement. He observed that while Ghana has made commendable progress in conducting credible elections, challenges persisted in key areas such as electoral transparency, political party financing and gender representation in leadership.
Organized by NETRIGHT with support from the STAR Ghana Foundation and partners, the forum brought together key stakeholders including the Electoral Commission, political parties, Civil Society Organizations and Gender and Governance experts.