Below are claims worked on by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition on December 7, which is Day 4 of our operations.
List of claims:
- Voter ID with a foreigner’s photo doctored.
- False! Nelson Mandela did not make a statement about Mahama.
- True! 1,200 presidential ballots missing in Yendi
- True, one person has died from the Tolon shooting incident
- False! Chief Imam did not say he would work to ensure a Muslim becomes president of Ghana
- Misleading! Voting resumes in Kintampo South Constituency after temporary halt
- False! Minor arrested over dummy ballots in Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency, not real ballot papers
- Border closed in Aflao, military deployed as security official from presidency fires multiple warning shots
- False! Akosua Manu has not been declared MP-Elect for Adentan
- True! Men who confronted soldiers in Obuasi East are receiving treatment in a hospital
- 35 Togolese nationals arrested and repatriated at the Aflao border
- False! Donald Trump has NOT endorsed Mahama
- Misleading! – Pre-thumb printed ballots spotted are not authentic 2024 ballot papers
- Claim that Police officer was beaten at Ablekuma West for smuggling unsealed ballot boxes false
- Allegation of underage voting in Techiman, False
- True, Blue Saloon car was impounded in Bolgatanga for carrying ballot papers
- EC has not confirmed that KT has lost his seat.
CLAIM 1
Headline: Voter ID with a foreigner’s photo doctored.
Claim: An X user, @Opanaa_1, posted a voter ID with a foreigner’s image.
Source: X (archived here)
Verdict: False
Explanation: The picture is fabricated. The Ghana Fact-checking Coalition conducted a Google reverse image search on the card and found that the man in the photo on the voter ID is Zhou Libo, a popular Chinese comedian who was charged with possession of a weapon and drug in April 2017. The Coalition also found that the same image of a voter ID with Zhou’s picture appeared online in 2020. The Electoral Commission of Ghana issued a presser to debunk this. You can find the presser here. Other publications on the issue are available here, here, and here.
CLAIM 2
Headline: False! Nelson Mandela did not make a statement about Mahama.
Claim: A TikTok user shared a video claiming that former South African president Nelson Mandela has allegedly made some critical comments suggesting ex-President John Dramani Mahama is ‘inconsistent.’ The video was shared with the caption: “Wait and see what Nelson Mandela said about Mahama.”
Source: finderek1/TikTok. (Archived here).
Verdict: False
Fig 1 – Screenshot of the TikTok post
Explanation:
Research by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition using Google Lens revealed that the excerpt attributed to Nelson Mandela originated from a June 21, 1990 interview conducted by Ted Koppel at the Aaron Davis Hall, City College of New York. At the time this interview was conducted, John Mahama was not a prominent figure in national politics.
Additionally, Mandela passed away in December 2013, and he couldn’t have made any statements about Mahama in 2024.
CLAIM 3
Headline: True! 1,200 presidential ballots missing in Yendi
Claim: 1,200 presidential ballots were lost in Yendi
Source: Social media (here and here)
Verdict: True
Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition spoke with a correspondent from the Yendi Constituency who confirmed that indeed 1200 presidential ballots were missing. A West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) observer stationed in Yendi also confirmed via telephone that the missing ballot papers were detected in the EC office before distribution to the polling station.
CLAIM 4
Headline: True, one person has died from the Tolon shooting incident
Claim: A WhatsApp video reports a shooting incident leading to the death of an individual in a branded NDC T-shirt in the Tolon Constituency.
Source: WhatsApp
Verdict: True
Explanation: WANEP election observers in Tolon confirmed that there was a shooting in Nyankpala in the Tolon constituency, which incident led to the death of one person. The Northern Regional Peace Council also confirmed the death to the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition. The Ghana Police Service in one of its briefings confirmed the death and subsequent arrest of four persons over the incident.
CLAIM 5
Headline: False! Chief Imam didn’t say he would work to ensure a Muslim becomes president of Ghana
Claim: An Accra-based radio station, Wontumi TV/Radio, alleged that the Chief Imam had prophesied he would enstool a Muslim president before he died.
Source: Wontumi TV/Radio
Verdict: False
Explanation: There is no evidence to support the claim that the Chief Imam had prophesied that he would enstool a Muslim president. Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, the Chief Imam’s spokesperson, has refuted the claim. “He has never prophesied that Ghana will have a Muslim president. The media house is politically inclined, and they want to say things that will favour themselves,” he told the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition in a call to verify the claim. When the coalition conducted a Google keyword search, we found no news report online to support the claim.
CLAIM 6
Headline: False! Pre-thumb printed papers allegedly seized by police in Bolgatanga not official ballot papers
Claim: A Facebook user claims the police in Bolgatanga in the Upper East region have seized 143 official presidential ballot papers pre-thumbprinted for New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Source: Facebook (Archived here)
Verdict: False
Explanation: Although the photos shared in the claim have been thumb-printed for NPP candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the papers are dummy ballot papers and not the official ballot papers, issued for the 2024 presidential election.
The papers in the photos bear the title “Notice of polls” printed by the Electoral Commission in October 2024 for educational purposes ahead of the general elections. Details on the Notice of Polls include the positions, and symbols of the political parties and candidates contesting the elections.
CLAIM 7
Headline: Misleading! Voting resumes in Kintampo South Constituency after temporary halt
Claim: “An unconfirmed report indicates that the ballot issuer at the Temporal Boot Bayere polling station in Apesika, Kintampo South Constituency, Bono East, had torn off Dr Bawumia’s photo from 15 ballot papers that have been issued so far. As a result, voting has been suspended.”
Source: Kessben TV (Facebook)
Verdict: Misleading
Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition sighted a press release from the Ghana Police Service confirming that an Electoral Commission official in Kintampo South Constituency was engaged in electoral offences.
“The suspect Dery Joseph, is under investigation for issuing about 15 ballot papers to voters that omitted the first presidential candidate at the Ampesika Bayere polling station,” the police stated.
The Coalition also confirmed that the presiding officer at the polling station has been replaced; however, voting is still ongoing.
CLAIM 8
Headline: False! Minor arrested over dummy ballots in Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency, not real ballot papers
Claim: A video shared by an X user,@theGhanaianInsider, showed the arrest of a young man who had some 76 ballot papers in his possession in Atwima Foase in the Ashanti Region.
Source: @theGhanaInsider (X) (Archived)
Verdict: False
Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition identified the incident happened in the Foase Electoral Area, within the Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency of the Ashanti Region. The polling station involved was Foase Methodist Primary.
The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition further contacted the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) observer, who debunked the claim and indicated the young man arrested was a minor holding dummy ballot papers. He also stated the arrest was a precautionary measure to prevent any disruption at the polling station.
CLAIM 9
Headline: How pro-NPP X accounts are targeting NDC’s John Mahama with hate and false claims
Claim: Pro-NPP X accounts spread hate and false claims targeted at NDC’s John Mahama
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
Explanation: On X (formerly Twitter), a coordinated network of accounts are driving hashtags such as:
#IncompetentMahama
#FailedMahama
#1TouchForBawumia
#BawumiaForPresident
These accounts are spreading harmful disinformation targeting John Dramani Mahama, the Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). For example, the lead account at the centre of this campaign, Kwaku Brown (@kwakubrownies), alleged that Martin Amidu accused John Mahama of being “the father of all corruption” in the Airbus scandal. In another instance, the account claimed that Mahama sold his Dubai hotels to a former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources. Both claims have been fact-checked by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition and found to be false (see here and here).
We continue monitoring these hashtags for harmful content related to the elections.
DATA SHEET: kwakubrownies
CLAIM 10
Headline: Border closed in Aflao, military deployed as security official from presidency fires multiple warning shots
Explainer: Aflao election-related issues: All that we know
The border closure in Aflao in the Ketu South Constituency and the military presence have increased tension in the area, with some Togolese reportedly arrested for entering the country illegally. Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition has dug into the issue and found the following :
- Suspicious vehicle sighting:
In the afternoon of December 6, 2024, residents of Aflao noticed a white pickup truck with multiple antennae near the Aflao Police Station. The vehicle, bearing a visible registration number GE1029-24, raised suspicions of an intent to disrupt internet connections. - Residents confront occupants:
Residents approached the vehicle’s occupants to inquire about their purpose in the area. Allegedly, the occupants ignored their questions, prompting further concerns. - NDC members Intervene:
The commotion drew the attention of two National Democratic Congress (NDC) members. They informed Sylvia Awuye, a journalist with Holy FM, that one of the occupants, who was armed, had allegedly threatened to shoot them. - Police involvement:
As tensions escalated, a police officer arrived at the scene and escorted the vehicle’s occupants to the Aflao Police Station. During the process, one occupant dropped an ID card, revealing his identity as Joseph Sekyere, a security officer at the Presidency. - Youth protest:
A group of irate youth gathered at the scene, burning tyres and also vandalising part of the vehicle. They demanded the occupants be brought out for questioning. The police directed the vehicle to the station for safety. - Warning shots fired:
According to our sources, Joseph Sekyere allegedly fired multiple warning shots while being escorted, further heightening tensions. - Military presence:
The incident drew military intervention, with personnel remaining in the area until around 2:30 a.m. - Arrest of alleged Togolese nationals:
Earlier in the day, 29 Togolese nationals were reportedly apprehended at the Aflao Low-Cost Basic School. However, the Aflao Sector Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service, Frederick Duodu, indicated that 36 alleged Togolese were arrested and screened with 25 confirmed to be Togolese. - Claims of NDC’s report and immigration action:
NDC executives allegedly alerted the police and immigration authorities about the presence of the Togolese. The individuals were subsequently taken to the immigration office near the border. On a video circulating on X, residents are heard saying the group were in the country to vote. Our sources confirmed the claim. - Accounts from the alleged Togolese:
The detained individuals claimed to be from Baguida, a suburb of Lomé, Togo. They told our source they were in contact with the school’s (Aflao Low-Cost Basic) headmaster. The headmaster had reportedly informed them that his superior would provide further instructions on what to do and they would be paid CFA 25,000. - NPP Candidate’s statement:
After casting his ballot, the NPP candidate for Ketu South, Samuel Wisdom Doe Haligah, has promised to address the matter. - Calm returns
Our sources say calm has returned to the area.
- The Ghana Immigration Service has since repatriated the 25 Togolese.
CLAIM 11
Headline: False! Akosua Manu has not been declared MP-Elect for Adentan
Claim: An X user @NanaKwame_off, shared a post suggesting that Akosua Manu, the NPP parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, has won the election.
Source: @NanaKwame_off (on X formerly Twitter) archived here
Verdict: False!
Explanation: The Electoral Commission (EC) in the Adentan Constituency has not officially declared the winner of the Parliamentary poll. Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition’s checks with a journalist monitoring the ballots counting at the Adentan Constituency Collation Center confirmed that the results are yet to be fully compiled and declared. It is, therefore, early to conclude that Akosua Manu, the NPP candidate, won the Parliamentary election in the Adentan Constituency.
CLAIM 12
Headline: True! Men who confronted soldiers in Obuasi East are receiving treatment in a hospital
Claim: An X user shared a video claiming that two men who confronted soldiers during the voting exercise in Obuasi East are now receiving treatment in a hospital.
Source: @RoGoat7 (X) (Archived here).
Verdict: True.
Explanation: We compared the video of the two men in a hospital with the video of the scuffle and found them to be the same people. Although their shirts were now off, the men were still wearing the same trousers spotted in the initial video. Similarly, an unidentified man who appeared in the scuffle video was also seen with them at the hospital. The X user’s claim is, therefore, true.
CLAIM 13
Headline: 35 Togolese nationals arrested and repatriated at the Aflao border
Claim: A Facebook user claims a group of Togolese brought in by the NPP were arrested in Ketu South and repatriated.
Source: Facebook
Verdict: Misleading
Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition has confirmed that the Ghana Immigration Service picked 36 suspected individuals on the eve of election day. After a thorough screening, 35 of them were found to be Togolese. They have since been repatriated. Even though the Ghana Immigration Service confirmed the incident, they did not establish which political parties masterminded the influx of the Togolese nationals.
CLAIM 14
Headline: False! Donald Trump has NOT endorsed Mahama
Claim: Multiple social media users claim US President-elect, Donald Trump has endorsed the NDC’s presidential candidate for the 2024 election, John Dramani Mahama.
Source: Facebook, Facebook, TikTok archived here
Verdict: False
Explanation: There are no media reports of this supposed endorsement. There is no video of Trump endorsing Mahama, no news reports on it, and no posts on social media by the official handles of both Mahama and Trump. This endorsement was spotted on about two handles on Facebook and TikTok( here, here, and here).
Aside from the apparent unnatural tone the acclaimed voice carries, when tested on AI or Not, a tool that substantiates synthetic contents, the results indicate that the audio was artificially generated and cloned to seem like Donald Trump’s voice.
CLAIM 15
Headline: Pre-thumb printed ballots spotted are not authentic 2024 ballot papers
Claim: Several reports claim pre-thumb printed ballot papers have been discovered across the country
Verdict: Misleading
Explanation: Claims of thumb-printed ballot papers across Ghana; Here are our findings
- In the case of the minor in the Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency who was arrested with 76 ballot papers in his possession, the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition discovered that the said papers were dummy ballot papers bearing little semblance to authentic ballot papers issued by the Electoral Commission (EC).
- An X post has also alleged that some NPP supporters have been arrested for hiding thumb-printed ballot papers at a hotel in Pokuase. Again, upon careful observation of the said ballot papers, the Coalition discovered that the topmost part of the ballot paper bears no resemblance to the authentic ballot papers being handed out by polling agents. While the authentic ballot features the coat of arms, the national flag, a serial number, and other information on coloured background, the alleged pre-thumb printed ballot simply features the text “BALLOT PAPER” in bold print on black background.
Fig 1: Official ballot papers versus alleged pre-thumb printed ballot paper found in Royal N Hotel in Pokuase
- A Facebook user claims the police in Bolgatanga in the Upper East region have seized 143 official presidential ballot papers thumb-printed for New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Although the photos shared in the claim have been thumb-printed for the NPP candidate, the papers are dummy ballot papers bearing the title “Notice of poll.”
Fig 2: Dummy Ballots discovered at Bolgatanga
Conclusion
Although reports of thumb-printed ‘ballot papers’ are gaining traction, our checks show that none of the instances flagged so far involve authentic ballot papers issued by the EC.
CLAIM 16
Headline: False! EC yet to declare results from parliamentary elections
Claim: Pro-NPP account claims the party has won majority of parliamentary seats in the just ended parliamentary elections in Ghana.
Source: X user, Mr Irish (archived)
Verdict: False
Explanation: There is no evidence that the Electoral Commission in the various constituencies has announced all results of the parliamentary elections. The EC has said at a press conference that counting and collation of results are ongoing across all collation centres. However, provisional results reported so far showed some incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) have lost their seats. It is, therefore, too early to determine whether a particular party has won a majority in parliament.
CLAIM 17
Headline: True, 2 EC officials passed out in Okaikwei North as police deploy pepper spray
Claim: Multiple claims say two Electoral Commission (EC) officials collapsed in Okaikwei North constituency as a result of police’s use of pepper spray.
Source: @PulseGhana(X) Joy online
Verdict: True
Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition has confirmed the story from the constituency and found it to be true. An observer with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding(WANEP) explained that the incident occurred when the police used pepper spray to control a rowdy crowd during the counting of the ballot papers. The affected officials were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
CLAIM 18
Headline: Claim that Police officer was beaten at Ablekuma West for smuggling unsealed ballot boxes false
Claim: Police officer at Ablekuma West beaten for attempting to smuggle unsealed ballot boxes to collation centre.
Source: TV3 (X post)
Verdict: False
Explanation: Even though an unsealed ballot box is seen in the video, which confirms part of the claim, it was not the police who attempted to bring it into the collation centre. The boxes were carried by two unknown men. Later on, two other policemen were seen meandering their way into the crowd ostensibly to restore order but the crowd resisted any attempt to carry the box into the collation centre. Whilst the video captured scenes of the angry mob beating someone it was not clear who the victim was. An observer with the West Africa Network for
CLAIM 19
Headline: Allegation of underage voting in Techiman, False
Claim: Minors arrested in Techiman for attempting to vote.
Source: GhanaWeb (Archived) and Ghanamma.com
Verdict: False
Explanation: The Ghana Fact-checking Coalition contacted its regional correspondents and the WANEP observer in the Bono East Region and can confirm that no incident of voting by minors has been reported in Techiman or its surrounding areas.
Again, the story is an example of false connection, a type of disinformation in which the body of the story provides little or no information about the headline.
CLAIM 20
Headline: True, Blue Saloon car was impounded in Bolgatanga for carrying ballot papers
Claim: True, Blue Saloon car was impounded in Bolgatanga for carrying ballot papers
Verdict: True
Explanation: A video uploaded on the Facebook page of Bolgatanga-based A1 Radio showed some residents in a heated argument with security personnel who had arrested some residents who had ballot papers that had been thumbprint for NPP’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia. The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition found that this incident happened at Animgazanga JHS polling station. A WANEP election observer in Bolgatanga Central told the GFC that the blue salon car had swaths of ballot papers in it. The observer also indicated that the vehicle has been impounded and is currently at the Regional Police Command. According to the Northern Regional Peace Council, the car has been impounded by the police.
CLAIM 21
Headline: EC has not confirmed that KT has lost his seat.
Claim: Social media users, Ohene Ba Eben on Facebook and @StatsGH on X have claimed that Adansi Asokwa MP, KT Hammond, has lost his seat.
Source: Facebook, Twitter archived here and here
Verdict: False
Explanation: Claims that the Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa Constituency, K. T Hammond, has lost his seat have not been confirmed yet. The Ghana Fact-checking Coalition gathers that the Electoral Commission is still collating results from the various polling stations and is yet to declare a winner. An EC officer in the Asokwa Constituency confirmed to the Coalition that the collation of votes is ongoing, and no winner has been declared yet.
This report is part of the work of the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition’s Election 2024 coverage.
