In a stunning display of administrative incompetence, the Electoral Commission seems more interested in controlling the narrative than ensuring electoral integrity.
With less than a week until the December 7 elections, ballot papers from two regions—Eastern, and Western—are being recalled and destroyed due to identified inconsistencies in serial numbers. And yet, instead of focusing on these critical electoral irregularities, the EC under Jean Mensah’s leadership is obsessed with restricting media coverage.
Imagine a football match where the referee, instead of managing the game, decides to block camera operators from streaming the match to millions of eagerly waiting fans. This is precisely the ridiculous scenario the EC is creating in Ghana’s electoral process. They’re not just shifting focus; they’re deliberately undermining the very transparency that forms the cornerstone of our democratic process.
Let us be brutally frank with the issues, the EC’s argument that giving the media open access to cover the elections would somehow cause overcrowding, and impede proper tabulation and supervision of ballot papers is not just weak—it is laughable. In the history of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, never has there been an attempt to cap media coverage during elections. Why now? Under Jean Mensah’s leadership, why are we witnessing this unprecedented assault on media freedom?
The constitutional guarantees of press freedom seem to mean nothing to the current EC leadership. Article 162 of Ghana’s Constitution explicitly protects media independence and prohibits censorship. By limiting media houses to just eight per constituency and twelve at regional levels, the EC is effectively creating a controlled information environment that reeks of manipulation and fear.
What makes these guidelines even more suspicious is the arbitrary selection process. Who decides which five TV stations and seven radio stations get the golden ticket to cover the elections? The potential for bias is not just a possibility—it’s a glaring probability. This selective approach smacks of an agenda to control the narrative and limit public scrutiny.
For citizens who rely on specific media houses for credible information, these restrictions are nothing short of a democratic betrayal. If your trusted news source isn’t among the chosen few, how will you receive accurate, unfiltered information about the electoral process? The EC is not just limiting media access; they’re limiting citizens’ right to information.
Isn’t it ironic that an institution struggling to manage basic electoral logistics—evidenced by recalled ballot papers with serial number inconsistencies—is now positioning itself as an arbiter of media access? It’s like a chef who can’t cook trying to dictate how food should be photographed. The EC should fix its internal challenges before attempting to restrict media professionals who are merely doing their constitutional duty.
To my fellow journalists, PRINPAG, the Ghana Bloggers Association, media associations, and every defender of press freedom: this is our line in the sand. We cannot and will not accept these draconian guidelines. We must challenge these restrictions through every available legal and public platform. Our collective voice must ring out loud and clear: Ghana’s media will not be muzzled, our democratic rights will not be trampled, and transparency will prevail. The EC must understand that the eyes of the media are the eyes of the people, and those eyes cannot and will not be shut.
Written by Samuel Nii Adjetey
Journalist, Fact-checker