Election 2020: No Data Is Being Deleted – EC Tells Mahama, NDC
The Electoral Commission has debunked claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress that it (EC) has plans to erase Verification data on the BVDs.
In a statement, the EC described the assertion by the NDC as a “malicious lie”, urging the public to ignore it.
“The Electoral Commission’s attention has been drawn to statements being made on social media about a directive issued to EC Technicians to deactivate the Biometric Verification Devices. The said posts gives the impression that this is being done by the EC to erase Verification data on the BVDs. The Commission advices the general public to completely disregard these malicious statements,” the EC said
According to the EC, deactivation of the BVD is part of the standard operation procedures which is supposed to happen at the end of polls, adding “It prevents the possible mischief of additional verification being done after polls have closed”
“Deactivation does not in anyway delete the verification data that is on the BVD. This feature has been demonstrated at IPAC in the full view of the Political Parties, Development Partners and Civil Society Organisations. This demonstration was done at the instances of the NDC and in attendance at that IPAC meeting was Mr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, Deputy General Secretary and Mr. Amartey” the EC explained.
The Commission is therefore curious that an attempt to misinform the public is being done with the sole purpose of discrediting a well organised election.
“The General Public is once again advised to completely disregard these message and should be rest assured that the data on all BVDs remain intact,” the statement concluded.
In other development, the EC has denied rumours that soon after declaring the 2020 election results, the Chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensa tried travelling out of the country.
Many news portals reported on Friday the EC boss immediately traveled to Virginia in the United States after declaring the results.
But in a statement, the EC said, “The attention of the Electoral Commission has been drawn to information circulating on social media claiming that its Chairperson travelled outside the country after declaring the 2020 Presidential Election results. We wish to state that Mrs. Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, as well as all the Commissioners are at post discharging their legally mandated duties.”