Akufo-Addo calls for audit of voters' register

2008 and 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called for an "independent" and "forensic" audit of the biometric voters' register ahead of the district assembly elections later this year.

He described the current register as bogus and not truly representative of Ghanaians entitled to vote.

Nana Addo was addressing delegates of the NPP at the Radach Memorial Hall in Tamale on Thursday, July 31 when he made these remarks.

"Our message to Dr Afari Gyan and the Electoral Commission is simple: we need a register that truly represents those who are entitled to vote in Ghana," he said.

"We are not interested in playing the blame game. We are only interested in doing what is right for our democracy. Let us all work together on this. Ghanaian elections should not be West African election."

On Wednesday, July 30, the country's Supreme Court stopped the Electoral Commission (EC) from using National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards as a proof of document in registering new voters.

"The process for electoral reforms has started with this decision by the Supreme Court. That decision means sorting out the voters' register, the base document for elections, is the first major step."

Nana Addo, who was the first petitioner to a writ filed at the Court last year against the EC, John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said hearing on the petition proved that the register used for the 2012 elections was "not credible."

"The Court agreed that there must be electoral reforms, and we see this decision of yesterday as a reinforcement of that thinking of the court."

He called for immediate steps for an audit of the register.

"As a first step before the District Assembly election, we want to ask the Electoral Commission to heed to the calls of civil society and political parties, including CPP, PNC, PPP and NPP, to allow for an independent, forensic audit of the existing biometric voters register."