Vote CODEO

The coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) in the early hours of Tuesday said it has recorded 235 incidents from the 4,000 polling stations where it had deployed observers

.A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency and issued by Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, CODEO National Coordinator in Accra, said by close of polls, five top cases included intimidation/ harassment, violation of Covid-19 health and safety protocols, violence of various kinds, unauthorized persons at polling stations and malfunctioning of some biometric devices.

The statement said CODEO recorded 43 cases of intimidation or harassment, 40 cases of violation of Covid-19 health and safety protocols, 25 violence cases, 24 cases of unauthorized persons at polling stations, and 21 cases of biometric verification devices not functioning properly.

It said CODEO also recorded 16 cases of suspension of voting, nine cases of non-opening of polling stations, eight cases of polling station running out of materials, six cases of violation of voting or counting procedures, four cases each on destruction or stealing of election materials and eligible voters not allowed to vote.

The statement said it recorded four cases of vote-buying/bribery, two cases of ineligible person allowed to vote, a case of ballot stuffing, a case of over-voting, a case of polling station closing before 1700 hours, and 26 other incidents.

The statement listed region’s where some of these incidents took place as Ahafo, Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Savannah, and North East.

CODEO appealed to Ghanaians to remain calm, be law-abiding, respect Covid-19 protocols and be measured in their reaction to results being announced at polling stations, constituency and National Collation Centres.

The statement said “Ghana needs each and every one alive”.