We can’t rig election 2024 in favour of any political party — Deputy EC Chair

The Electoral Commission (EC) has stated that it is in no position to rig the 2024 General Election in favour of any political party.

The Commission said elections are won or lost at the polling station and “not at the EC’s headquarters.”

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Friday, Mr Samuel Tettey Deputy EC Chair in charge of Operations, said the transparent nature of the electoral processes from registration to collation and declaration of results makes it impossible for the Commission to determine the outcome of elections.

The Commission was responding to allegations by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at a press conference in Accra on Thursday.

Mr Tettey said there was no loophole in the electoral process that could enable the Commission to rig the elections in favour of any party or candidate.

He said political parties had the will to put in systems to collate their figures from across the over 38,000 polling stations and match it with the figures of the Commission at the close of polls.

“…if a political party has participated in all the above processes and has been able to collate results from all the 38,622 polling stations, their results should match the final results that the Electoral Commission would eventually declare,” Mr Tettey said.

“Elections are won or lost at the polling station, and not at the Head Office of the Electoral Commission. Parties should train their Agents well to observe the process and not blame the EC for the outcome of the elections,” he added.

Responding to concerns about the recruitment of Returning and Deputy Returning Officers for the ongoing voters’ registration exercise, the Commission said the process was open, fair, and transparent.

Mr Tettey said following the advertisement of the positions in the dailies, some 20,561 persons applied, adding that an in-house committee shortlisted the applicants.

“…all successful applicants at the interview have no less than 8 years working experience with the Commission as Temporary Election Officials,” he said.