The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has charged media houses to refrain from announcing election results ahead of the Electoral Commission (EC) during the 2024 General Elections.
In a recent media dialogue, Albert Arhin, CODEO’s National Coordinator, stressed the media’s crucial role in safeguarding the credibility of the electoral process. He called for patience until the EC officially declares results.
Albert Arhin pointed out that while organizations like CODEO may have access to results through their Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) system before the EC’s official declaration, they adhere to strict protocol and never release this information.
“It is not necessary. Let the EC come out to declare the results. Let me tell you, CODEO normally gets the results about two days before the EC comes out, but we never tell anybody. Through the PVT, we’re able to know who has won the election but we swear and we keep it to ourselves,” Mr Arhin stated.
He warned that premature announcements by the media could cause confusion and undermine public trust in the electoral system
