The Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has expressed his deep frustration and lack of trust in Ghana\u2019s Electoral Commission (EC), calling out the institution for what he describes as \u201cgerrymandering\u201d and manipulative practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an opinion piece on Wednesday, October 2, he accused the EC of deliberately disenfranchising the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) during the 2020 general elections, among other grievances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI get so irritated whenever I hear the Electoral Commission chairperson ask people to trust her and her gang,\u201d Mr Cudjoe began, noting that the EC\u2019s promises to his people were broken just days before the 2020 elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, the EC promised the Chiefs of SALL during a meeting on November 30, 2020, that their constituents would vote. Cudjoe, who was present, even personally thanked the Chairperson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, six days later, on the eve of the election, a midnight letter was released by the EC, declaring that the people of SALL would not be allowed to vote, without providing any explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Cudjoe described this decision as a turning point in Ghana\u2019s political landscape, claiming that it \u201ctilted the balance of power in Ghana\u2019s Parliament, giving the ruling NPP a single majority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He strongly believes that this was an orchestrated act of \u201cgerrymandering\u201d carried out by the EC, in collaboration with the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His anger at the situation is compounded by what he terms \u201cjudicial chicanery,\u201d where a court case challenging the electoral fraud was dismissed after three years, with the judge claiming no jurisdiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor four years, my people in SALL had no representation in Parliament, saw no single development, and our dilapidated school and road infrastructure just got worse. And yet we paid taxes!\u201d Mr Cudjoe lamented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The failure to address SALL\u2019s issues, he argues, is symbolic of deeper, systemic problems within the EC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Cudjoe further pointed to what he described as a blatant lie from the EC about the lifespan of biometric voter equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The EC claimed that all the equipment had been purchased in 2011 and was no longer usable for the 2020 elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Cudjoe countered that parliamentary records, as well as statements from the Controller and Accountant General and the Ministry of Finance, indicated that nearly 4,000 units of such equipment had been purchased in 2016, 2018, and 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These units had been successfully used in the 2016 general elections, the December 2019 District Level elections and the 2018 referendum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStrangely, all the voter equipment \u2018died\u2019 in January 2020, just three weeks after being used for the district level elections in December 2019,\u201d he wrote, accusing the EC of deliberately pushing for the purchase of new equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n