Claim: Electoral Commission Chairperson tests positive for coronavirus
Source: Online platform, HardTruthGH.com
Verdict: False
Researched by Rabiu Alhassan
Satire and parody portal, HardTruthGH.com has claimed in an article that Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Adukwei Mensa has tested positive for COVID-19.
The platform that prides itself to publish fictitious articles said, “the case of the EC chairperson is yet to be communicated to the general public by the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.”
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Meanwhile, the undated article is being passed around on social media without the realization that it is false and GhanaFact was alerted to it on WhatsApp.
We have since alerted the EC to the publication and they have issued a press statement to further debunk the claim.
High cases of coronavirus
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo is currently in self-isolation after coming into contact with persons who have tested positive for the virus and the country’s Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah is also reported to have done same on the advice of his doctors.
Two public officials have died from coronavirus complications in Ghana while some government ministers are currently receiving treated for the virus.
Cast doubts on the upcoming elections
“Many are they that have been asking of the future of Ghana’s upcoming general election if truly Jean Mensa is COVID-19 positive,” the article further stated casting doubt on the country’s upcoming elections.
In May, GhanaFact fact-checked a similar false claim published by the online platform, Newsmunews.net that the Electoral Commission had postponed Ghana’s elections to 2023.
Fact-check
“The Commission wishes to state that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission is well and at Post. She has not tested positive for the coronavirus,” Director of Public Affairs at the Electoral Commission Sylvia Annoh said in a statement sent to GhanaFact.
The July 9 statement calls on the public to disregard the contents of the publication by the satire portal.
Meanwhile, the online platform, HardTruthGH.com at the bottom of the article issues a disclaimer stating that it is a satire and parody portal, “hence content published[on their platform] is mostly for entertainment use only.”
Verdict
GhanaFact rates the article as false.
