WACCE Preliminary Report on Election 2024
Friday January 03, 2024 – Following its Post-Election Security Incident Assessment
(PESIA), WACCE presents its preliminary report on the just ended General Elections held
on Saturday December 07, 2024.
We consider the 2024 general elections as one of the most violent and deadliest
elections in the 4th republic with the death of six (6) persons in the exercise of their
civic duties as citizens. This is coupled with the various fire incidents that
characterised the process including the setting ablaze of the Electoral Commission’s
(EC) office in Ayensuano in the Eastern Region on December 10, 2024, the Fire
outbreak at Kwashieman Cluster of Schools in the Ablekuma North constituency
where ballot boxes were housed, the burning of the EC office in Damongo in the
Savannah Region on December 08, 2024 as well as the attack on public transport
systems including the metro mass transport workshop in Sunyani on December 10,
2024, among others.
With many more victims undergoing treatments of different kinds, the casualty
numbers are likely to be higher eventually. With this outcome, WACCE’s projection of
zero-death for election 2024 did not materialise, and we consider this as an indelible
blot on our democratic profile and of our electoral process.
We consider the voting process as largely peaceful without time wasting or technical
hitches in most places and, many voters commend the process as seamless and in
most cases, cordial. And whilst the voting process was largely peaceful and smooth,
the counting and results declaration processes undermined the idea of peaceful
elections and the conditions considered for free, fair and peaceful elections.
Whilst we consider the election process as electoral success, it is burdened with a
disastrous security outcome with the needless violence and death of six. This is
especially with the advantage of the lessons of the 2020 elections in which 8 deaths
were recorded.
The last lap of contentious collations and declarations of nine (9) outstanding
constituencies and the controversial issues surrounding them have a tendency of
throwing the 9th parliament into a political tumult at its commencement and beyond.
We note the significant gesture by the Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia in
conceding defeat ahead of the Electoral Commission’s (EC) official declaration and
its impact in obviating potential violence. By the early concession, Ghana averted
potential violence resulting from undue tensions, misinformation and potential
conjectures as is typical of critical election outcomes.
We commend the Ghana Police Service for the arrests of 132 suspects throughout
the country for post election disturbances, many of whom are going through court
processes. It is commendable to indicate that whilst there were some lapses, the GPS
was largely in control with many of the arrests done in a swift manner.
Election-related deaths in the 2024 General Elections.
1. December 07, 2024. At the Nyankpala Lorry station on the Tolon constituency, a 31-
year-old steel bender, Haruna Shaibu, was shot and killed on the spot.
2. December 07, 2024. In the Damongo Constituency in the Savannah Region, 35 year
old died from a gunshot wound duration collation when he was hit by a stray bullet.
3. Shooting incident in Ewutu Senya East constituency in the Central Region on
December 07, 2024 resulted in the death of one.
4. Anafo Ano South West Constituency. During collation at the Electoral Commission
office at Mankraso, a young man 33 year old Kwasi Nimo an 6 others were injured by
gunshot wounds over election rigging confrontation. Kwasi subsequently died at the
Mankraso Government Hospital.
5. A confrontation over looting at a warehouse with fertilizers, rice at Offinso North in
the Ashanti region resulted in the stabbing to death of one person. Another was
injured by gun shot wounds from which he died later at the hospital.
6. Various other arrests of gun wielding individuals took place or shooting incidents
took place without causalities such as the shooting incident in Nsawam Adoagyiri
Constituency Collation Center in Eastern Region on December 08.
The EC and Public Trust
We commend the EC for the measures including the division of polling centers and others
to allow for smooth and early completion of voting at the polling stations. However, the
EC has remained a big a source of low trust among citizens as well as a source of election
related disputes. Some of these emanate from inconsistent application of its own rules
and processes. This gives room for public perception bias in the discarge of its duties.
As more work is still required, the EC needs to mobilise adequate public and stakeholder
goodwill and consensus to be able to address the remaining challenges amicably in order
to avoid needless court cases.
Misinformation
There have been pervasive instances of misinformation intended to either fuel more
violence, show disaffection or increase distrust. We do not think that this has significantly
impacted on the integrity of the process before, during or after the voting. However
there are still attempts such as in the case of a video on Nsawam Adoagyiri shared on
December 21, 2024 when the actual video taken was on December 08, 2024. Swift actions
from the Police and EC are required to ensure that misinformation and fake news do not
gain any currency in impacting on the process.
Fire Incidents
The various incidents of burning including the setting ablaze of the EC office in
Ayensuano in the Eastern Region on December 10, 2024, the Fire outbreak at
Kwashieman Cluster of Schools where Ablekuma North constituency where ballot were
housed, the burning of the EC office in Damongo in the Savannah Region on December
08, 2024 as well as the attack on public transport systems including the metro mass
transport workshop in Sunyani on December 10, 2024 highlight the willingness of
perpetrators to employ impunity by escalating the grievances beyond direct election-
driven concerns to include weaponizing violence to register their grievances. Such acts
and misconduct have a tendency to breed extremism with longer term consequences on
the crime profile of communities where these took place.
Conclusion
Whilst can be considered an electoral success, it is a security failure in which up to 6
citizens needlessly lost their lives. We therefore did not appear to have learnt from the
disastrous security outcome of the 2020 elections.
We call on the EC to exercise good judgment in addressing the remaining tasks utilizing
the relevant tools and platforms at its disposal to discharge its mandate in a manner that
guarantees an outcome that is wholly peaceful, fair and transparent.
END
West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE)
Tel: 0505837185
Email: info@[Link]
mmmuqthar@[Link]
