The Voters’ Transfer Exercise at Tamale in the Northern Region has been marred with confusion and gun shots as some assailants allegedly chased away students of the University of Development Studies.
It is not clear yet who the assailants are but Joy News’ Tamale correspondent Hashmin Muhammed reports the assailants fired gun shots to scare away students hoping to transfer their ballots.
The students alleged that the assailants threatened to kill them on the election day if they try to leave their studies to go and vote.
“I saw some men in some cars coming this way as we queued and waited to be served by the EC officials all we realized was two men coming towards us with pinch bar and sticks and shouted if you love your lives stay in your university and learn,” she claimed.
They suspect the act is orchestrated deliberately by some persons to deny them their rights to vote in the upcoming elections.
The students complained of being turned away on several occasions by the Electoral Commission Officials and given several excuses.
“We have been here for the past four days and the EC gives us one excuse or the other…the last time it took them three days to file the nomination of those who were contesting the election. Today we are here again in the morning and the forms are not here and all these things have affected our schedule as students,” a frustrated student told Joy News’ Hashmin Muhammed.
He reported that the irate youth who are chasing away the students were bused to Tamale to create confusion in the voters transfer exercise.
Hashmin added that armed policemen have currently been deployed to the area to restore sanity but still remain outnumbered. The students have however called for an extension of the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police at a media briefing on Thursday said more personnel have been deployed to reinforce security in Nsawam in the Eastern region and Kukuom in the Brong Ahafo region where similar violence broke out a few days ago.
He said the police service will investigate what led to the violence and leave no stone unturned in their bid to ensure peaceful elections.
The IGP urged Regional Police Commands to comply strictly with the communication issued by the headquarters on the upcoming elections.
“He further urged them to coordinate with chiefs opinion leaders and the media to realize their goal in ensuring incident-free elections,” Joy News’ Joseph Ackah-Blay reported the IGP as saying.
He also said the IGP revealed his outfit has signed a communiqué with political parties on ensuring peaceful elections and  “will soon meet with religious leaders to get their input and support in propagating the message of peace.”
-myjoyonline