Missing BVRs can be used for illegal registration – Asiedu Nketia

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised concerns about the missing Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits at the Electoral Commission (EC).

The party said the devices could be used to illegally register voters for the December 7 elections.

The NDC has always been suspicious that the stolen kits could be used to illegally register some people to add them to the voters’ register to enable them to vote on December 7, 2024,” said Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman of the NDC.

“That remains our suspicion…If hardware can be stolen under CCTV surveillance, why not the activation code?” he asked.

Mr Nketia, who was addressing a press conference in Accra said the party had instructed its registration agents across the country “to resist the EC’s clandestine attempts aimed at diminishing transparency in the voter registration exercise.”

“Let me emphasize that our agents must activate the party’s super hi-tech application systems to transmit all serial numbers of BVR kits in their districts and electoral areas to the National Elections and IT Directorate of the party, with or without the approval of the EC” he said.

Mr Nketia also explained that, faced with the imminent threat of a compromised voter register, the party took precautions and tasked its registration agents across the country to record the serial numbers of all BVR kits that the EC will deploy for the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.

He explained that capturing the serial numbers of the BVR kits would help the party trace, identify, and match all registration data originating from a specific district or electoral area.

Mr Nketia stated that the serial numbers would also enable the party to track all authorized EC officials who operate BVR kits in an electoral area, to avoid any clandestine registration aimed at contaminating the voters’ register.

“We are determined to ringfence the threat and risk to the 2024 elections by documenting the serial numbers of each BVR kit that will be used in this registration exercise.

“Our agents also have our firm instructions that if BVR kits malfunction and are replaced during registration, they should duly record the serial numbers of the new BVR kits and the date and time of use” he added.

Mr Nketia also remarked that the party was taken aback that its preventative steps were being opposed by the Electoral Commission.

“Why is the EC resisting and stopping NDC registration agents from recording the serial numbers of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits?

“The big question is, what does the EC have to hide? What is their fear over the mere recording of the serial numbers of these BVR kits knowing very well some have been stolen under their watch?

“Is there something they are hiding from the public? Will our precautionary measure not prevent the criminals who stole the BVR kits from using them to illegally register people?” he asked.

Mr Nketia stated that if the EC had nothing to hide, it could simply enable consenting political parties to record the serial numbers of BVR kits during this limited voter registration exercise.

He said that on election day, serial numbers of Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) are entered on the Statement of Polls (pink sheets), and political party agents have access to these serial numbers.

“So, why stop the recording of serial numbers of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits?” he queried.