The Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has dismissed claims by the Electoral Commission (EC) that discrepancies in the 2024 Provisional Voters Register have been resolved.

Addressing the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in Accra on Tuesday, 1 October 2024, Dr. Boamah warned that unresolved issues within the register could jeopardise the integrity of the upcoming elections.

Expressing urgency, Dr. Boamah criticised the EC's lack of action, emphasising that the election is fast approaching, and unresolved discrepancies in the register could be left unaddressed.

"Time is of the essence," he stressed, urging the EC to move quickly to rectify the situation.

The NDC’s call for a comprehensive audit of the voter register and the EC’s IT system stems from concerns over potential voter data manipulation.

Dr. Boamah explained that a forensic audit would ensure transparency, prevent further tampering, and restore public confidence in the electoral process.

He illustrated the issue with an analogy: “When your roof is leaking, you can choose to mop continuously, or you can decide to fix the leak and then mop. What we see here is the EC mopping and mopping, without addressing the core issue,” he said, referring to the EC’s presentation at the meeting.

Dr. Boamah further elaborated on the need to address the problem fully: “Fixing the leakage is missing, and this is at the heart of our demand for a forensic audit. This audit is not just about the register. If by November, the same individuals responsible for these anomalies are still engaged in illegal transfers, we will be back at square one, and by then, it will be too late as the December 7 elections will be too close.”

The NDC reiterated its call for a "dichotomous approach" — fixing the register and auditing the IT system that allowed the anomalies to occur.

In response, the EC rejected the NDC’s demand for an audit, stating that the process is premature.

The Commission assured that their procedures, including registration, exhibition, and review, are sufficient to guarantee the accuracy of the final register, adding that most discrepancies have already been resolved and any remaining issues will be addressed through the established process.