Claim: Oheneba Nana Asiedu, a Ghanaian journalist with a pro-government media outlet, Wontumi Radio, has told his listeners that John Mahama, the 2024 NDC flagbearer, and the other presidential candidates will have different voting days.
Verdict: False. JUSTFACT GHANA’s investigations showed that there would not be separate voting days for the various presidential candidates, as the journalist alleged. Reacting to the claim, Ghana’s Electoral Commission has reminded the electorate that Dec. 7, 2024, remains the voting day for presidential and parliamentary candidates.
Background
A Ghanaian journalist with a pro-government media outlet, Wontumi Radio, Oheneba Nana Asiedu, has told his listeners that there would be separate voting days for the various presidential candidates in the upcoming General Election.
The journalist said that due to the high number of candidates contesting this year’s presidential election, the Electoral Commission has set aside separate days for voting for these candidates.
“Because there are many aspirants, there will be special voting days for all of them. Due to his position, the first to be voted for on December 7, 2024, would be Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. The rest will be voted for in the following days. If you don’t go and vote for Dr Bawumia, the police and military officers will not allow you to vote for the other presidential aspirants. So, if you want to get the opportunity to vote for your preferred presidential candidate, make sure you vote for Dr Bawumia on December 7, 2024,” he said in the Twi local dialect.
See minutes 0:02 to 2:58 of the video posted on X (formerly Twitter) for the journalist’s comment on the new voting arrangements.
Investigation
JUSTFACT GHANA’s investigations showed that, as the journalist alleged, there would not be separate voting days for the various presidential candidates.
Reacting to the claim, Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) has reminded the electorate that Dec. 7, 2024, remains the voting day for presidential and parliamentary candidates.
In a statement released on Nov. 24, 2024, the EC asked the public to disregard the broadcast on Wontumi TV.
“The Electoral Commission has taken note of a misleading broadcast by a presenter on Wontumi TV claiming that there would be different voting dates for some Presidential Candidates in the December 7th General Election,” the Commission said.
Also, the police in Ghana have arrested the pro-government journalist and charged him with various offenses, including publishing false news contrary to Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
“The suspect is currently in police custody and the case will be presented before the court for him to face justice,” the police said.
Similarly, the findings of JUSTFACT GHANA’s Google keyword search showed that no reputable West African media outlet had published news reports on the alleged separate voting days for the various presidential candidates.
Conclusion
Contrary to the pro-government journalist Oheneba Nana Asiedu’s allegation, there will not be separate voting days for the 2024 NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, and the other presidential candidates.
