John Mahama Calls on EC to Address Network Challenges and Congestions at Registration Centres

In response to challenges faced during the ongoing limited voter registration exercise, John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, has called upon the Electoral Commission (EC) to address network issues and congestion. After personally assessing the registration process during his visit to the EC headquarters, Mahama highlighted concerns about the current situation. He noted that congestion is prevalent, with people from various districts registering at a single location. Furthermore, he emphasized that the weak network connectivity is hindering the efficient use of instant online registration, forcing some data to be captured offline, which poses the risk of duplicate registrations.

Mahama urged the Electoral Commission to engage with telecom companies to resolve the network challenges promptly, aiming to expedite the registration process. Additionally, he recommended expanding the registration to more centers to alleviate congestion. He pointed out that many young individuals who have recently turned 18 years old do not possess Ghana cards, emphasizing that if Ghana Cards were the sole registration requirement, a substantial portion of eligible voters would be unable to register.

Mahama’s call echoes the concerns raised by various stakeholders regarding the smooth and efficient execution of the limited voter registration exercise. Criticisms have been directed at the Electoral Commission for what some perceive as inadequate preparation to handle the high demand for registration.