Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) has urged advised ex-president John Dramani Mahama to consider dialogues over street demonstartion in addressing concerns regarding alleged discrepancies in the provisional voters register.

The EC stressed that it is the best approach to resolving the party's grievances and ensuring a fair electoral process.

During a press conference in Accra on Thursday, September 12, 2024, Deputy Chairman of Operations, Samuel Tettey, directly appealed to Mr. Mahama, stating, “The EC believes that the best way to ascertain the credibility and integrity of the 2024 Voters Register is at the discussion table, not on the streets. Taking to the streets will not ensure a credible register; it will only cause tensions and suspicions which are unwarranted.”

Mr. Tettey therefore called on “the former President, His Excellency John Mahama, an eminent and respected statesman of the Republic, to encourage and bring his party to the table… On our part, we assure the NDC of a transparent process that would demonstrate to them that all their concerns have been resolved.”

The Electoral Commission's (EC) call for dialogue stems from its frustration over the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s failure to present proof of the alleged discrepancies it claims to have uncovered during the recent voters' register exhibition. Despite a meeting on September 6, 2024, where the NDC outlined five concerns, the party has yet to submit the promised documents, leading to repeated but unanswered requests from the EC.

In response, the NDC has scheduled a nationwide demonstration for Tuesday, September 17, 2024, accusing the EC of ignoring its request for a forensic audit of the voters' register. The EC, however, refuted allegations that 50,000 ghost names were added, assuring that any names of deceased persons would be removed once the necessary data is provided by the NDC.

“The Commission is fully committed to providing the country and all Political Parties with a robust and credible Voters Register that will guarantee free, fair, transparent, and credible General Elections in December 2024,” the EC reassured the public.