Logo of the Electoral Commission
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana and directed the Commission to fully cooperate with an ongoing investigation into alleged maladministration, procurement breaches and waste in the management of the country’s biometric election systems.
In a ruling dated October 28, 2025, and signed by Commissioner Joseph Whittal, sighted by GhanaWeb, CHRAJ rejected arguments by the EC’s counsel, Ace Ankomah, that the Commission lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The objection sought to halt a petition challenging the EC’s handling of the Biometric Voter Management System (BVMS) and the disposal of related voter registration and verification equipment.
CHRAJ held that its constitutional mandate under Articles 218 and 287 of the 1992 Constitution empowers it to investigate allegations of corruption, abuse of office, maladministration, conflict of interest and waste in public administration.
The commission emphasised that such issues fall squarely within its oversight powers, even when elements of the allegations may also amount to criminal offences.
CHRAJ explained that while it does not prosecute, it is authorised to investigate and refer any findings of potential criminality to the Attorney-General, EOCO or the Auditor-General for further action.
According to CHRAJ, procurement irregularities, financial waste, and the improper disposal of public assets constitute “suspected corruption” and therefore fall within its jurisdiction.
Background
The complaint before CHRAJ questions the EC’s decision to replace its biometric voter management infrastructure and dispose of older registration and verification kits.
The petition, which was filed by IMANI, alleges that the systems were prematurely declared obsolete, resulting in unnecessary costs to the state.
The EC, however, argued through its lawyers that CHRAJ lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter, insisting that any allegations of financial loss or criminality should be handled by other investigative bodies.
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CHRAJ, however, disagreed, ruling that the EC’s constitutional independence does not exempt it from accountability or external scrutiny.
With the objection dismissed, CHRAJ has directed the Electoral Commission to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.
The inquiry will focus on:
The procurement and award process for the new BVMS platform;
The evaluation and selection of vendors;
The disposal and auctioning of existing biometric equipment; and
The protection of biometric data and other sensitive election materials during the disposal process.
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