Claim: EC alters 2024 ballot positioning for Ghana’s presidential election

Source: Viral photo

Verdict: FAKE

Researched by Gifty Danso

On November 4, 2024, GhanaFact was alerted to a photo suggesting changes in the Notice of Poll for the 2024 presidential election. The attendant narrative was that the Electoral Commission (EC) had rearranged the order in which candidates were to appear on the ballot paper.

The photo gained traction since it followed the demise of Akua Donkor, the flagbearer of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) who was third on the ballot that had 13 candidates. 

The photo, shared by an X user was captioned “EC has finally decided on the ballot positioning following Akua Donkor demise???” 

The photo listed the 2024 presidential aspirants and their respective numbers on the ballot paper, except this time, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is placed at number two instead of number one (his original position after balloting). Akua Donkor who was third on the ballot paper was also eliminated leaving only 12 candidates on the photo.

What is a Notice of Poll

A Notice of Poll is one of the many jargons used during elections. According to the EC, whenever an election is to be held, the Commission “shall as soon as practicable after the allocation of symbols, colours or combination of colours publish notice of the election in the Gazette and in the places in the constituency that it may direct.” 

Screenshot of viral photo claiming EC has decided on new ballot positions

This post has since been viewed by over 93,000 X users, shared by 81 persons, liked by 663 others and generated 163 comments. 

This fact-check report seeks to verify the claim.

Background

On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, the death of the presidential candidate of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Akua Donkor, was reported. 

The 72-year-old was one of only two female candidates in the election, alongside Nana Akosua Frimpomaa of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP).  Her passing came just about a month after the EC conducted a balloting process that determined the order in which the 13 presidential candidates would appear on the ballot paper.  

Akua Donkor picked the number two position at that balloting held on Friday, September 20, 2024. 

Fact-check

Following Akua Donkor’s demise, the EC released a statement on October 29, 2024, indicating the processes the election management body will follow in view of death of the presidential aspirant.

The statement signed by Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman in charge of operations said it had informed the Ghana Freedom Party to elect a new candidate within 10 days in line with Article 50 (4) of the 1992 Constitution. 

“While the 1992 Constitution and the Public Elections Regulations, 2020, C.I. 127, are not clear on processes to follow in the event of the death of a Presidential Candidate, Article 50 (4) of the 1992 Constitution provides as follows; ‘where at the close of nominations, but before the election, one of the candidates dies, a further period of ten days shall be allowed for nominations…,” the statement said. 

The EC also announced the suspension of printing of the presidential ballot papers until the GFP puts forward a nominee. 

Given that the EC’s 10-day directive has not yet expired, the Commission is unlikely to present a new notice of poll indicating new ballot positions. 

The GFP, also formally notified the EC that it was going to replace flagbearer Akua Donkor with her running mate. The new flagbearer, Kwabena Agyemang Appiah Kubi, known as Roman Fada, has since presented his nomination papers to the EC on October 5, 2024.

“It is not credible. We have not altered anything,” the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare said in an interview with GhanaFact.

Verdict

The photo is fake and the claim is False.