Jean Mensa
The Electoral Commission has refuted claims by the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, alleging collusion between the NPP and the EC to insert the name of an unqualified NPP parliamentary candidate into the Assin North voters’ register.
The EC in a statement categorically denied these claims and asserted that it has not received any such request from the NPP to transfer any person’s vote.
According to the EC, Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution states that a person does not need to be a registered voter in a specific constituency to be eligible to contest an election there. Simply being a Ghanaian, 21 years or older, of sound mind, and a registered voter is sufficient.
However, if a person wishes to contest in a constituency where they do not hail from, they must be ordinarily resident there or have resided there for at least five years out of the previous ten years.
Sammy Gyamfi in a statement on Sunday said: “The National Democratic Congress has become aware of a plot by the ruling New Patriotic Party, acting in cahoots with their collaborators in the Electoral Commission to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the Voters Register of the Assin North constituency. This illegal move is to aid the said Charles Opoku to contest in the NPP Parliamentary primaries to select a candidate for the upcoming Assin North by-election”.
“Our 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”.
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But the Electoral Commission insisted that the allegations are baseless and aimed at maligning the integrity of the EC.
The EC emphasized that being a registered voter in a constituency is not a prerequisite for contesting elections there.
It reiterated its commitment to transparency, fairness, and integrity in all its operations. It asserted that the current Commission has been the most transparent and accountable, carrying out its duties in accordance with the Constitution.
The EC further criticized the NDC for continuously making unsubstantiated allegations against state institutions like them, which only serve to weaken and undermine Ghana’s democracy.
The Electoral Commission urged Ghanaians to trust in their ability to conduct credible elections and assured them that they will continue to uphold transparency and deliver fair and impartial electoral processes.
Below is the full statement by the EC
RE: NPP AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION IN A PLOT TO ILLEGALLY INSERT THE NAME OF AN UNQUALIFIED NPP PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE INTO THE ASSIN NORTH VOTERS’ REGISTER
The Electoral Commission’s attention has been drawn to a misleading press statement attributed to the National Communications Officer of the NDC alleging collaboration between the NPP and the EC for the purpose of transferring the vote of one Charles Opoku to the Assin North Constituency to enable him to contest the upcoming by-election in the said constituency.
We wish to state that this 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.
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.
Per the Constitution, simply hailing from a constituency entitles a person to contest an election in that constituency so long as the person is a Ghanaian Twenty-one years and above of sound mind and a registered voter
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.
We make this point 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. Simply hailing from there is enough.
As such, there is no reason to engage in transfers as alleged by the NDC Communications Officer.
It is a well-known fact that the current Commission has been the most transparent and accountable in its operations. 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.
The continuous maligning of state institutions such as the EC by the NDC only weakens and undermines our democracy.
The EC 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.
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