The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has issued a stern warning to the Electoral Commission of Ghana, demanding accountability and improved performance following significant registration failures experienced during the first day of the limited voter registration exercise.
The National Democratic Congress lawmaker expressing deep concern over the EC’s handling of the registration process for the first day urged the country’s electoral body to avoid repeating the many challenges witnessed across the country on the first day of the exercise.
Honorable Ablakwa further urged the leadership of the Electoral Commission to take immediate measures to ensure a much better performance for the rest of the registration exercise.
“Yesterday, the EC failed to register a single person at its Ayiwata Registration Centre in my beloved constituency due to what officials claim might have been caused by faulty equipment and connectivity challenges”.
Honorable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency
Furthermore, Honorable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that the Electoral Commission’s District Office in Battor faced similar registration delays, further exacerbating frustrations among citizens’ eager to register.
Lamenting over the impact of the situation, the North Tongu Member of Parliament recounted that despite the efforts of citizens to participate in the voter registration exercise, the Electoral Commission’s poor response rate left over a hundred individuals unable to register, forcing them to return home without success.
Honorable Ablakwa in a call for action underscored the need for urgent remedial action by the Electoral Commission of Ghana to address the systemic issues plaguing the registration process.
The Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs issued a clear ultimatum to the Electoral Commission, asserting that constituents would demand additional registration days to compensate for every instance of failure exhibited by the electoral body.
He underscored the importance of accountability and transparency in the electoral process, by affirming his commitment to ensuring that citizens’ rights to participate in the country’s democratic and electoral process are upheld.
Ghanaians Urged to Participate in EC’s Registration Exercise
In an earlier statement, former President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) called upon Ghanaians to persist in the face of registration challenges encountered on the initial day of the voter registration exercise.
The opposition party flagbearer and leader bemoaning the setbacks experienced during the first day of the registration exercise across the country urged citizens not to be deterred by the obstacles encountered.
The former President while highlighting the perceived frustrations facing citizens emphasized the importance of perseverance and urged Ghanaians especially first time voters to visit Electoral Commission (EC) District offices and selected Electoral Areas to partake in the registration exercise.
Mr Mahama reiterated the significance of active participation in the electoral process, emphasizing that Ghana needs the collective voice of its citizens to shape the country’s future, thereby highlighting the necessity for citizens to overcome all forms of obstacles to exercise their democratic right.
With the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7, 2024, former President John Dramani Mahama emphasized the urgency of voter registration, urging eligible Ghanaians to ensure their participation in the electoral process.
He encouraged all citizens, particularly first time voters to acquire voter identification cards to be able to vote for the National Democratic Congress in the upcoming general elections, underlining the pivotal role of every voter in shaping the country’s political landscape.
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