Sammy Gyamfi
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has vowed to resist any attempt by the Electoral Commission (EC) to add Charles Opoku’s name to the voters’ register for upcoming Assin North by-election.
They argue that the people of the constituency deserve to know that their elected representatives are genuine residents and not political appointees.
In a press statement signed by their National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi in response to the EC earlier statement called on the EC to amend their regulations and ensure that the upcoming by-election is conducted in accordance with the law.
The NDC criticized the Commission’s interpretation of their own criteria and accused them of being biased towards the ruling party.
The root of the controversy is the alleged NPP’s attempt to add the name of a parliamentary aspirant, Charles Opoku, to the voters’ register for Assin North, despite him not being a register voter in the constituency.
The NDC argues that this move violates Regulation 6(3) of the EC’s own Public Election Regulations and the nomination form for the by-election, which specifies that the nominee must be “of the same constituency” as the proposers and endorsers.
The EC issued a statement defending their decision, citing previous instances where similar actions were allowed, but the NDC rejected this justification, stating that “estoppel cannot negate illegality” and that the commission’s actions are a betrayal of their duty to oversee a fair and transparent electoral process.
By Vincent Kubi