Dr. Bossman Eric Asare
The Electoral Commission (EC) has called on the public to disregard statements that the voters’ register for the 2024 elections is not credible.
Speaking at a press conference after the exhibition of the voters’ register yesterday in Accra, Deputy Chairperson of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare, said despite some errors identified during the exhibition exercise, the register is credible and robust.
“The Commission wishes to assure the public that, after the exhibition exercise, the final voters’ register that will be produced will be robust and credible,” he stated.
According to the EC, on Monday, August 26, 2024, the Commission received a report from its Northern Regional Directorate that some voters from two polling stations in the Tamale South Constituency, and one polling station in the Sagnarigu Constituency had been transferred to the Pusiga Constituency in the Upper East Region without their knowledge or consent.
The Deputy Commissioner said preliminary investigations by the Commission have revealed that voter transfers were indeed effected for 38 individuals using the credentials of an EC official.
He said the records of those transfers are captured in the Voter Management System’s (VMS) audit logs, showing that the verification done during the transfer process shows that photos of the voters from their Voter ID Cards were used for facial verification and to effect the transfers.
The Commission indicated that though it does not have any evidence to believe that the occurrence is widespread, it has instituted investigations to ascertain if similar incidents occurred elsewhere beyond the reported case in the Tamale South and Sagnarigu constituencies.
It said such transfers will be reversed and the perpetrators of such acts will be dealt with accordingly.
Dr. Asare further stated that per the provision of the law, the registered voter must be physically present to request for the transfer of vote to another polling station, adding that the transfer of vote could only be done at the District Offices and requires the presence of the voter to be verified using either facial or fingerprints.
He mentioned that voters involved in the incident have denied taking part in a transfer exercise even though they have admitted that their Voter ID Cards were collected by one Haruna Muniru to process a loan.
He said suspect, Haruna Muniru was in police custody last week and currently on bail while police investigations continue.
Dr. Asare also described as untrue the allegations that the Commission has added names to the voters’ register in a bid to rig the elections for a particular party.
He said those allegations are without merit and should be disregarded by the public, stressing that the EC has no intention of bloating the register to give any political party an advantage over the other.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah