The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised alarm over an alleged plot by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the Electoral Commission to insert the name of an unqualified candidate into the party’s voters’ register.
The purpose of this alleged illicit move is purportedly to enable Charles Opoku to participate in the NPP Parliamentary primaries for the upcoming Assin North by-election.
According to Sammy Gyamfi, this action directly violates the nomination form requirement for the Assin North by-election, which explicitly states that a candidate must be a registered voter in the Assin North Constituency. However, Charles Opoku, according to Sammy Gyamfi, is not a registered voter in Assin North.
“Under Regulation 22 of the Public Elections Regulations 2020 (C.I 127), voter transfer can only be conducted for an ordinary citizen at least 42 days before a public election. Moreover, transfer applications must be submitted to the Returning Officer responsible for the election. As the by-election in Assin North is less than 42 days away and a Returning Officer has yet to be appointed, any attempt to transfer voters into Assin North would be deemed unlawful and vehemently opposed by the NDC.
“We are fully aware of this unlawful plot orchestrated by the NPP and the Electoral Commission to manipulate the Assin North Voters Register,” stated an NDC spokesperson. “The nomination requirements are crystal clear, and we will not allow any illegal insertion of unqualified candidates into the process. We will take every legitimate step to ensure the Electoral Commission and their NPP collaborators are held accountable.”
The NDC emphasized that they are closely monitoring the situation and will remain vigilant in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process. They vowed to take all necessary measures within the confines of the law to prevent the execution of this alleged illegal plot, which undermines the democratic principles and fairness of the by-election.
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