The Electoral Commission has rubbished claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over request by the New Patriotic Party to transfer votes of one Charles Opoku to the Assin North Constituency to enable him to contest the upcoming by-election.
According to the Commission, the statement by the NDC, attributed to its National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, alleging collaboration between the NPP and the EC for the purpose of transferring the vote is misleading. It further emphasized that the statement is not true.
“For the records, the EC has not received any such request from the NPP to transfer the votes of any person. This allegation is false and a figment of the author’s imagination. As usual, it is aimed at maligning the integrity of the Electoral Commission.”
Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission stated that per Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution, a person does not need to be a registered voter in a particular constituency to enable him/ her to contest an election in that constituency. It explained that the Constitution, indicates that simply hailing from a constituency entitles a person to contest an election in that constituency.
Additionally, the EC noted that so long as the person is a Ghanaian, twenty-one years and above, of sound mind and a registered voter, he or she is qualified to contest.
“In the event that a person who wishes to contest in a particular constituency does not hail from that constituency, that person will be eligible to contest if he/she is ordinarily resident in that constituency or has been a resident there for a total period of not less than five years out of the ten years immediately preceding the election for which he/she stands.”
Electoral Commission
Furthermore, the Commission emphasized that its point is to buttress the fact that a “person who hails from a constituency per the Constitution need not be a registered voter in the constituency he /she wishes to contest in”. It underscored that “simply hailing from there is enough”.
“As such there is no reason to engage in transfers as alleged by the NDC Communications Officer.”
Electoral Commission
Lamenting the Commission’s involvement in such allegation postured by the NDC, the EC indicated that it is a well-known fact that the current Commission has been the most transparent and accountable in its operations. It highlighted that the Commission has carried out its mandate in strict consonance with the Constitution.
“To date, the NDC has not proved a single allegation they have made against the EC.”
Electoral Commission
The continuous maligning of state institutions such as the EC by the NDC, the Commission pointed out, only weakens and undermines the country’s democracy. Nonetheless, the EC pledged that it will continue to uphold transparency, fairness, and integrity in all its operations.
“We urge the good people of Ghana to trust us to continue to deliver credible elections.”
Electoral Commission
It will be recalled that National Democratic Congress (NDC) revealed that it has become aware of a plot by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), acting in cahoots with the Electoral Commission (EC) to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the Voters Register of the Assin North constituency.
Describing the transfer as an “illegal move”, the NDC highlighted that unimpeachable sources have revealed that contrary to the clear requirement on the nomination form for the Assin North by-election, which demands that a candidate in the election must be a registered voter in Assin North, the said Charles Opoku is not a registered voter in the Assin North Constituency.
Reacting to this, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has denied the claim, insisting that the party is not seeking to transfer any voter to Assin North voters register, urging Ghanaians to ignore the NDC’s baseless claims.
