A former Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu has said that per practice, party agents have never been present at transfer centres prior to elections in Ghana.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on June 6, he said, “It’s historical. No agent has ever. If you go back to the various years, no room is made for agents for transfers. No room at all. You can ask anybody. So this is the first time, and if it’s being abused, should they wait for the “ABC” to happen before they are blamed? No. let sleeping dogs lie. We want a peaceful country.”

This comes after the Electoral Commission (EC) issued a directive to its regional directors, instructing them to inform district directors that agents of political parties will not be allowed to observe the ongoing transfer of votes. 

In a memo obtained by MyJoyOnline, the EC explained that this decision comes in response to several violent incidents that had occurred at its district offices.

The EC has since made a u-turn on its decision after the National Democratic Congress strongly opposed the decision whereas the NPP backed it.

In addition, Mr Mac Manu stated that, the NPP is not relying solely on the EC but rather building its internal systems to ensure a free and fair election.

“We are not going to rely on Mrs Mensa [Jean Mensa, EC Chair] to give us results like some people did in 2016. We are building ourselves, our campaign, our party, our organisation and that is what wins an election, not by putting your trust in an EC."

Currently, we are going into this election with 42,000 polling stations. And you think somebody can sit in Accra and be able to command and control the results of all the 42,000 stations. No way. We don’t believe in that.”