The Electoral Commission has denied allegations made by Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s national communications officer, that the NPP and the EC conspired to add the name of an ineligible NPP parliamentary candidate to the Assin North voters’ register.
In a statement, the EC vehemently refuted these allegations and claimed that the NPP had not requested the transfer of any voters’ votes.
A person does not have to be a registered voter in a certain constituency to be qualified to run in an election there, according to the EC’s interpretation of Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution. It is sufficient to be a Ghanaian who is at least 21 years old, of sound mind, and a registered voter.
However, in order to run for office in a constituency from which they are not originally from, a person must either ordinarily dwell there or have lived there for at least five of the ten years prior.
“The National Democratic Congress has become aware of a plot by the ruling New Patriotic Party, acting in collusion 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,” Sammy Gyamfi said in a statement on Sunday. To help the aforementioned Charles Opoku compete in the NPP parliamentary primaries to choose a candidate for the upcoming Assin North by-election, this illegal action has been taken.
The said Charles Opoku is not a registered voter in the Assin North Constituency, contrary to the clear requirement on the nomination form for the Assin North by-election, which mandates that a candidate in the election must be a registered voter in Assin North.
The Electoral Commission, however, argued that the accusations were false and intended to damage the EC’s reputation.
The EC highlighted that it is not necessary to be a registered voter in a constituency in order to run for office there.
It reaffirmed its dedication to openness, equity, and integrity in all of its business dealings. The current Commission, it was claimed, has been the most accountable and transparent, carrying out its tasks in accordance with the Constitution.
The EC further condemned the NDC for bringing unfounded accusations against state institutions like them on a regular basis, saying that this only served to erode and damage Ghana’s democracy.
The Electoral Commission asked Ghanaians to have faith in their abilities to run credible elections and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining transparency and providing fair and unbiased electoral processes.
