By Albert Futukpor
Ngarum (N/R), Nov. 26, GNA – The Local Accountability Network (LANet-Tamale), through its focal organisation; RUWA-Ghana, has organised a Voter Education Campaign for first-time voters at Ngarun, a community in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region.
It was to train new voters to cast their first votes with integrity, free from electoral corruption and vote manipulation to safeguard the country’s democracy in the 2024 elections.
It formed part of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition’s (GACC) project titled: “The Youth Voice: Activating First-Time Voters for Ghana’s 2024 General Election,” which is funded by the United States Embassy in Ghana and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
The training benefited first-time voters from Ngarun and Dugshegu who learned about their voting rights, forms of electoral corruption, and its effects on the country’s democracy and economy.
They also engaged in voter simulation exercises, learning proper ballot thumb printing and best practices to ensure their votes counted in the upcoming elections.
Mr Hudu Hafiz, a LANet-Tamale Executive Member and RUWA-Ghana’s Media and Communication Officer, facilitated the training emphasising need for a free and fair election in 2024.
He said “The upcoming 2024 elections will be the ninth so far. Unfortunately, our elections, though categorised as free and fair, have raised several concerns about transparency and integrity due to alleged electoral corruption”.
He added that “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”.
Some LANet-Tamale Members also supported the event emphasising the importance of first-time voters participating in the upcoming elections to defend the country’s democracy to preserve her electoral processes.
Mr Ibrahim Mutala, one of the LANet-Tamale Members, said democracy was weakened by voters demanding money from politicians and politicians paying voters for their votes.
Madam Sumayatu Abdulai, another LANet-Tamale Member, reiterated that the future of the youth was jeopardised by electing the wrong leaders due to electoral corruption.
Participants lauded their partners for the initiative and gave assurance to voting with integrity in the upcoming general election.
GNA