Two applicants in the just ended limited voters registration exercise have been arrested in Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region while others are on the run.
The suspects were among applicants allegedly bussed by the ruling New Patriotic Party, (NPP) from Ketu North and Lower Manya Krobo constituencies to register at Asuogyaman.
They were facing the Review Committee after being challenged.
The opposition National Democratic Congress, (NDC) got wind of the plot of transporting non-resident applicants hence laid surveillance and with the intervention of the military stationed on Adomi Bridge intercepted the vehicle transporting them and handed over to the Police however were released to go ahead to registe
The NDC challenged the eligibility of the applicants using the Electoral Commission’s challenge forms.
Addressing the media in Atimpoku, the Constituency Secretary of the NDC, Comrade Clement Amegatse accused the NPP of engaging in several registration infractions which fueled many confusions and affected the smoothness of the exercise.
“On Thursday 21st, September, 2023 intelligence gathered indicated that about 3 buses full of persons from Ketu North were entering Asuogyaman to be illegally registered. This was followed up swiftly with surveillance and on 23rd September they were finally brought to the registration center for their names to be written in the book for their registration. But our agents challenged almost all of them for Non-Residents,” Clement Amagatse stated.
He narrated further that “On Monday 2nd October 2023 we received another information of another car transporting people from Ketu North and this time we arrested them the car with the assistance of the military officers on the Adomi Bridge but the car was subsequently released by the military for us to go to the Atimpoku Police station but the NPP registration Officials rather defied that order, drove the car to the registration center. Apparently, some of them in the car were those we challenged on 23rd September, and they were bringing them to face the Review Panel and new ones were also brought to be registered again.
The Review Committee chaired by Nana Akowua chief of Powmu established a prima facie case against the two applicants. Benjamin Dzreke and Promise Kumevor were challenged for being nonresidents hence were arrested, compelling others waiting for their turn to appear before the committee to escape ostensibly to avoid arrest”
According to the NDC in Asuogyaman, the various confusions caused by the NPP during the exercise coupled with technical challenges of EC equipment made it impossible for close to thousand (1000) qualified voters to register, therefore called for extension of the registration exercise.
Content by: Kojo Ansah
