LANet-Tamale, RUWA-Ghana, GACC Urge First-Time Voters to Defend Democracy in Upcoming 2024 Election

November 24, 2024, Ngarun, Tamale – The Local Accountability Network Tamale (LANet-Tamale), through its focal organization RUWA-Ghana, organized a Voter Education Campaign for first-time voters in Ngarun, a suburb of the Sagnarigu Municipal in Tamale. The campaign aimed to train new voters to cast their first votes with integrity, free from electoral corruption and vote manipulation, to safeguard Ghana’s democracy in the 2024 election.

The training was part of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC)’s project titled “The Youth Voice: Activating First-Time Voters for Ghana’s 2024 General Elections.” It was sponsored by the US Embassy in Ghana and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The training benefited first-time voters from Ngarun and Dugshegu. Participants learned about their voting rights, forms of electoral corruption, and its effects on Ghana’s democracy and economy. They also engaged in voter simulation exercises, learning proper ballot thumb printing and best practices to ensure their votes count in the upcoming election.

Mr. Hudu Hafiz, a LANet-Tamale executive member and RUWA-Ghana’s Media and Communication Officer, facilitated the event and emphasized the need for a free and fair election in 2024. “Ghana became a republic in July 1960, and it was the first time ever Ghana had its own constitution to elect its first president, free from colonial rule. The 1960 Republican Constitution suffered a military takeover in 1966 and a Second Republican Constitution was launched in 1969. It was also overthrown in 1972 giving rise to a Third Republican Constitution in 1979 which was also overthrown in 1981. In 1992, the Fourth Republican Constitution was adopted. Since then, eight general elections have been organized and they have been generally free and fair. The upcoming 2024 election will be the ninth so far,” Mr. Hudu said. “Unfortunately, our elections, though categorized as free and fair, have raised several concerns about transparency and integrity due to alleged electoral corruption. The results of the 2012 and 2020 elections were contested in court. While this promotes our democracy by allowing constitutional challenges, it also raises serious concerns about fairness and transparency in our election processes, which can undermine our democracy,” he added, addressing the state of Ghana’s democracy concerning electoral integrity.

Other LANet-Tamale members, including Mr. Fuseini Ibn Safian, Ibrahim Mutala, and Sumayatu Abdulai, supported the event and emphasized the importance of first-time voters participating in the upcoming election to defend democracy in order to preserve the good name of Ghana’s electoral processes. Mr. Ibrahim highlighted that democracy is weakened by voters demanding money from politicians and politicians paying voters for their votes. Mr. Sufyan underscored the importance of voting as a constitutional right, while Madam Sumayatu reiterated that the future of the youth is jeopardized by electing the wrong leaders due to electoral corruption.

The participants were inspired by the messages delivered and committed to voting with integrity in the upcoming general elections.