Key Points
- Mahama alleges EC is assisting NPP in rigging elections.
- Exposure of validating stamps could lead to fraudulent ballots.
- Mahama calls for national and international intervention to ensure fair elections.
John Mahama, a former president and the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has charged that the Electoral Commission (EC) is attempting to assist the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in manipulating the next elections.
Ghanaians are adamant about voting for change and will defend the integrity of their ballots, Mahama claimed, claiming that the EC’s efforts will ultimately fail. According to him, the NDC has received numerous reports of EC employees exposing validating stamps since Thursday, December 5. Mahama contended that in spite of these reports, the Commission has not issued a clear instruction to prevent employees from sharing important information concerning the stamps in the days preceding Saturday’s polls.
Mahama claims that the disclosure of these stamps may allow anybody attempting to rig the election to produce phoney ballots. He cautioned that such behaviour might gravely damage the vote’s credibility.
According to myjoyonline, Mahama further raised concerns by referring to an internal EC communication dated October 10, 2024, which he claimed details a scheme to help with ballot stuffing by disclosing validating stamp serial numbers prior to election day. He explained that this was part of a calculated plan to change the election’s outcome.
In a statement released Friday, Mahama said that the leak was an intentional attempt to sabotage democracy and tamper with election outcomes. He voiced his grave fear that the election’s legitimacy may suffer greatly if the EC did nothing about the matter.
Mahama has urged several institutions to step in and hold the EC responsible in light of these events. These include of the international community, civil society organisations, religious and traditional leaders, the National Peace Council, and election observation missions. Mahama called on these organisations to intervene and make sure the election’s fairness is not threatened by the EC’s measures.
