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”.
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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