Ghana: Electoral Commission wards off cyber-attack

By Umaru Sanda Amadu

GHANA (AA) - Ghana’s Electoral Commission has restored its website following an overnight cyber-attack, the commission said Thursday.

In a Twitter post, the commission said “it deplores the attempt to hack its website”.

The commission is currently collating results of Wednesdays polls, during which more than 15.7 million Ghanaians cast their vote to elect president and members of parliament.

Facing intense pressure from the opposition for publishing results of the polls conducted across the country, the commission tweeted, “We urge voters to remain calm as we begin releasing results”.

President John Dramani Mahama of the governing National Democratic Congress party faces a stiff contest from six other candidates including the leader of the largest opposition New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo Addo.

Earlier, New Patriotic Party's Youth Organizer Sammy Awuku charged the commission to declare party leader Nana Akufo Addo as president.

“From declared results of the constituency level alone, we can provisionally say that the NPP has won a clear parliamentary majority with a minimum of 149 seats, no machinations can change this," said Awuku.

He decried the delay in releasing the results, saying “this is the first time in 16 years in our democratic dispensation that election results have unduly delayed in this manner.”

But at a press conference, the commission said the delays were as a result of irregularities reported at some centers.

“It has come to the attention of the Commission that several possible instances of over voting have occurred," said the commission’s spokesperson, Eric Dzakpasu.

Meanwhile, local radio station collations have placed the opposition leader ahead of President John Mahama who is seeking a second term.

Already, all other candidates in the race have congratulated the opposition leader who is making a third move at Ghana’s presidency.

It remains unclear when the Electoral Commission will formally announce the results.