Ghana’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), staged nationwide protests on Tuesday against alleged irregularities in the voter roll, demanding an independent forensic audit to ensure free and fair elections.
The demonstrations come as Ghana prepares for crucial presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7, where voters will choose a successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is stepping down after serving the constitutionally mandated eight years.
Thousands of NDC supporters, dressed in red and black, marched through the streets of Accra, the capital, and other major cities across Ghana’s 16 regions. Protesters played reggae and campaign songs from loudspeakers, calling for intervention from international bodies, Ghana’s peace council, and religious and civil society groups.
The NDC leadership accused the electoral commission of illegally transferring voters to different voting stations without their consent, compromising the integrity of the voter register. Protest leaders presented petitions to parliament and the electoral agency in Accra, outlining their concerns and demands.
Kwame Acheampong, a 68-year-old protester, told Reuters that his registration had been inexplicably transferred from Accra to Tamale, a city in northern Ghana. “How can I go to Tamale to vote?” he asked, highlighting the practical challenges posed by such transfers.
The electoral commission has stated that identified errors have been corrected. In August, it suspended a district director in the northeastern town of Pusiga for “using his credentials to transfer voters without their knowledge.”
These allegations of irregularities have significantly impacted public trust in Ghana’s electoral authority. A July survey by pan-African research group Afrobarometer revealed that confidence in Ghana’s electoral commission is at its lowest point since polling began in 1999.
NDC party chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia addressed protesters, emphasizing the party’s commitment to transparent elections. “Ghana’s democracy is on a serious test and we want it to prevail,” he said. “It’s time for war to remove anything that has the tendency to push us into a bigger war.”
The upcoming election will pit former president John Dramani Mahama of the NDC against current Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party. While Ghana is renowned for its stable democracy, the last election in 2020 was marred by violence that resulted in eight deaths and accusations of government interference, which were denied by officials.
As the December 7 election approaches, the NDC’s protests underscore the heightened tensions and the critical importance of maintaining electoral integrity in one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
