The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has condemned the fake news disseminated by Oheneba Nana Asiedu, a presenter with Kumasi-based Wontumi FM.
The NCCE, in a statement, described the news by the presenter as misleading and dangerous.
The presenter has been arrested by the police on charges of offences including the publication of false news contrary to Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The presenter, in a radio show, claimed that the Electoral Commission (EC) will organize the December 7 presidential election on separate days for the candidates.
He falsely claimed that the EC will, on December 7, organize the election for candidate Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and six others, whereas the remaining six candidates will have theirs organized on different days.
The NCCE issued a statement saying, “These statements are false and misleading and amount to disinformation. The NCCE urges the general public to ignore the video and its content.
Officially, there is only one voting day for the 2024 election: Saturday, 7th December 2024. Voting for both presidential and parliamentary candidates starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m.
All qualified presidential candidates in the December polls will be on one ballot, and the electorate will vote for their preferred candidate. The same goes for parliamentary aspirants.”
Below is the full statement:
The attention of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has been drawn to a video circulating on social media where one Oheneba Nana Asiedu, a presenter with a Kumasi-based radio and television station, is misinforming the general public about the 2024 election.
The presenter is heard making claims that “the number of presidential aspirants for this year’s general election is many, and so the voting days have been scheduled separately for the aspirants.” He claims there are two voting days: the first one for aspirants 1 to 7 and a later date for the remaining aspirants.
These statements are false and misleading and amount to disinformation. The NCCE urges the general public to ignore the video and its content.
Correct Information
Officially, there is only one voting day for the 2024 election. Saturday, 7th December 2024, is the day. Voting starts from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for both presidential and parliamentary candidates. All qualified presidential candidates in the December polls will be on one ballot, and the electorate will vote for their preferred candidate. The same goes for parliamentary aspirants.
The NCCE condemns such deliberate and orchestrated actions by some individuals, media personalities, and political actors who spread fake news and mislead the general public. The Commission entreats all to verify information before sharing. Disinformation is a threat to democracy, and we must collectively reject it. The Commission will continue to intensify civic and voter education nationwide to empower citizens with knowledge even as we head to the December 7 polls and beyond.
The National Commission for Civic Education commends the Ghana Police Service for its swift action in handling the matter. We are assured that the law will take its full course to deter others from taking such actions.
