Omane Boamah urges NDC agents to memorise validation stamp numbers in response to EC directive

Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has responded sharply to a directive from the Electoral Commission (EC) that prohibits disclosing validation stamp numbers to polling agents.

The EC’s memo, dated December 5, 2024, instructed election officials to withhold the validation stamp numbers from candidates’ agents to prevent duplication and ensure the integrity of ballots during counting.

In a statement on social media on December 7, 2024, Dr Omane Boamah described the directive as “contrary to wisdom and law”. He accused the EC of deliberately attempting to undermine transparency in the electoral process.

“Contrary to wisdom and law, the wilfully criminal Electoral Commission of Ghana insists that validating stamp numbers must not be given to polling agents,” he wrote.

Dr Omane Boamah urged NDC voters to memorise the serial numbers of validating stamps and share them with the party’s polling agents. He also called on polling agents to ensure that Presiding Officers properly complete Parts A and B of the pink sheet, a document used to record polling station data.

“Polling agents must, however, insist that the Presiding Officers fill the parts A & B of the pink sheet now if that has not been done,” he emphasised.

The EC’s memo, signed by Benjamin Bano-Bioh, the Director of Electoral Services, directed Regional and District Electoral Officers to ensure compliance with the directive. The EC stressed that withholding validation stamp numbers would help prevent ballot duplication and the inclusion of unauthorised materials during vote counting.

“Regional Directors are requested to inform all District Electoral Officers that validation stamp numbers for Presidential and Parliamentary Ballot Papers should not be given to the candidates’ agents,” the memo stated.

This controversy unfolds as Ghana’s 2024 general election draws intense scrutiny, with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition NDC competing for control of the presidency and Parliament.

More than 17 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots at over 38,000 polling stations across the country today. Observers are keeping a close eye on the process to ensure transparency, with the EC’s directive and the NDC’s response adding another layer of tension to the high-stakes election.