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Thousands of supporters of Ghana’s main opposition party took to the streets of the West African nation this week to protest alleged voter roll irregularities ahead of the pivotal general elections in December, the Associated Press reported.

On Tuesday, demonstrations took place in all 16 regions of the country, including the capital Accra, with protesters calling for free and fair elections. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) said that millions participated, but that figure could not be verified.

The protests follow recent allegations that Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) failed to ensure the credibility of the electoral roll for the upcoming Dec. 7 parliamentary and presidential vote.

The NDC accused the commission of including names of deceased voters, illegally transferring voters and deleting the names of eligible ones.

The party warned that this alleged manipulation would favor the ruling New Patriotic Party.

Complicating the matter is the recent suspension of a district EC director accused of conducting illegal voter transfers in Ghana’s Northern Region, according to the Africa Report.

The opposition is demanding a bipartisan investigation into the commission’s conduct, including an independent, forensic audit of the voter registers.

However, the EC countered that the NDC’s calls for an audit were “misguided.”

The controversy has prompted concerns of democratic backsliding in Ghana, a country that has been described as a model of stability in a region plagued by coups, political instability and extremist activity.

Analysts said the EC must act swiftly to restore public trust. A July survey by the pan-African research group Afrobarometer showed trust in Ghana’s electoral commission at a historic low since confidence polls started in 1999, Reuters wrote.