Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Director of IT and Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a stern warning to the District Director of Elections for Nandom Constituency, Isaac Akoto Darko, over what he describes as the latter’s flagrant violation of electoral regulations.
The former Minister of Communications under the previous National Democratic Congress’s administration, in a scathing critique alleged that Mr Darko has been permitting the transfer of votes by security personnel to the Nandom Constituency in a manner that is inconsistent with the law.
Dr. Omane Boamah’s concern is rooted in the alleged actions of Mr Darko, who purportedly stated that any security personnel who visits his office would be allowed to transfer their vote to the Nandom Constituency.
According to Dr. Omane Boamah, this practice is not only misleading but also illegal, as it contravenes the provisions outlined in the Electoral Commission’s Constitutional Instrument 127 (CI 127) guiding the conduct of public elections in the country approved by Parliament.
“The ongoing limited voter transfer exercise is for security personnel, students, and prison inmates who can prove that they are residents or ordinarily reside in a constituency even if they have not lived there for 12 months or more. This consideration given to security personnel must confirm, conform, and be consistent with existing law. Being a security personnel, alone, CANNOT guarantee your transfer to the Nandom Constituency”.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Director of IT and Elections of the National Democratic Congress
Move to Benefit Incumbent MP
Furthermore, Dr Edward Omane Boamah strongly pointed out that the conduct by the Electoral Commission’s District Director at Nandom, Isaac Akoto Darko could be a deliberate move to benefit the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Honorable Ambrose Derry in the upcoming general elections.
Dr. Omane Boamah’s critique extends beyond the current allegations, citing a previous incident involving the same Electoral Commission’s District Director at Nandom Constituency, Isaac Akoto Darko, during the ruling New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries in the Nandom Constituency, who was recorded admitting to being a pretender.
He alleged that the Electoral Commission’s District Director at Nandom per video recording available to him is affiliated with the governing New Patriotic Party while working with the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
Highlighting steps the National Democratic Congress has taken aftermath of the incident, Dr. Omane Boamah indicated that the opposition party has submitted the video evidence along with a petition to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters, demanding actions from the Electoral Commission.
In his statement, Dr. Omane Boamah did not mince words in highlighting the potential implications of the Electoral Commission’s District Director at Nandom Constituency, Isaac Akoto Darko’s actions on the credibility of the electoral process.
He emphasized that the integrity of the country’s elections is paramount, and any deviation from the established legal framework not only undermines the process but also erodes public trust.
The opposition National Democratic Congress’s Director of IT and Elections, in emphasizing the party’s concerns, called for immediate and decisive action from the Electoral Commission to address these concerns and ensure that electoral regulations are strictly adhered to across all constituencies.
He warned that failure to do so could lead to further legal challenges and public outcry, jeopardizing the upcoming elections’ overall integrity.
In an earlier critique, Dr. Omane Boamah, the Director of Elections and IT for the NDC voiced his discontent with the EC’s inconsistent behavior, citing a lack of reliability and unpredictability in the commission’s actions.
According to Dr Omane Boamah, the EC’s inconsistent actions have eroded its credibility and further exacerbated the mistrust that already exists.
He implied that this makes it increasingly difficult to have confidence in Electoral Commission’s ability to oversee a fair and transparent electoral process.
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