National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer John Dramani Mahama has called for calm and order as the party stages nationwide protests today, Tuesday, 17 September 2024, against the Electoral Commission’s (EC) handling of discrepancies in the voter register.
Ahead of the demonstration, Mr. Mahama emphasised the importance of maintaining peace throughout the event.
“This is a peaceful demonstration. It is not a violent demonstration. It is a peaceful demonstration and so if you know you cannot be peaceful, don’t come. We want only the people of peace to join us,” Mr. Mahama said, highlighting the party’s commitment to ensuring the protest remains orderly.
The NDC’s grievances focus on what they describe as significant irregularities in the voter register, identified during a recent voter exhibition exercise.
Despite their calls for a forensic audit, the EC has declined to conduct one, prompting the NDC to take to the streets.
Protesters are set to march to regional EC offices across all 16 regional capitals, while national executives will deliver petitions at the EC headquarters and Parliament in Accra.
Mr. Mahama urged demonstrators to respect the police and avoid any confrontations, stating, “The police will be there to protect us; the police are our friends. They have not done anything to us, so don’t let anybody go attacking the police on a peaceful demonstration.”
He further advised participants to return home quietly after the petitions are presented, reinforcing the peaceful nature of the protest.
