The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has claimed that it has uncovered a scheme by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Electoral Commission (EC) to unlawfully transfer and register one Charles Opoku as a voter in the Assin North constituency.
The NDC alleged that this is part of a plot to enable Charles Opoku to contest in the NPP parliamentary primaries and represent the party in the upcoming by-election in Assin North.
“The National Democratic Congress has become aware of a plot by the ruling New Patriotic Party, acting in cahoots with their collaborators in the Electoral Commission to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the Voters Register of the Assin North constituency.
“This illegal move is to aid the said Charles Opoku to contest in the NPP Parliamentary primaries to select a candidate for the upcoming Assin North by-election,” parts of a statement issued by the NDC on Sunday, June 4 said.
The law requires that a candidate in the Assin North by-election must be a registered voter in Assin North.
However, the NDC believes that Charles Opoku is not a registered voter in the Assin North Constituency and that the NPP and EC are trying to smuggle him into the election.
According to Regulation 22 of the Public Elections Regulations 2020 (C.I 127), voter transfer can only be done for an ordinary citizen not less than 42 days before a public election.
With the Assin North by-election scheduled for June 27, any voter transfer that will be done will be against the law, the NDC stated.
Below is a copy of the NDC statement:
PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
4th June, 2023.
NPP AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION IN A PLOT TO ILLEGALLY INSERT THE NAME OF AN UNQUALIFIED NPP PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE INTO THE ASSIN NORTH VOTERS’ REGISTER.
The National Democratic Congress has become aware of a plot by the ruling New Patriotic Party, acting in cahoots with their collaborators in the Electoral Commission to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the Voters Register of the Assin North constituency. This illegal move is to aid the said Charles Opoku to contest in the NPP Parliamentary primaries to select a candidate for the upcoming Assin North by-election.
Our unimpeachable sources have revealed that contrary to the clear requirement on the nomination form for the Assin North by-election, which demands that a candidate in the election must be a registered voter in Assin North, the said Charles Opoku is not a registered voter in the Assin North Constituency.
It is instructive to note that according to Regulation 22 of the Public Elections Regulations 2020 (C.I 127), voter transfer can only be effected for an ordinary citizen not less than 42 days to a public election. More importantly, transfer applications can only be made to the Returning Officer of a public election. Given the fact that, we have less than 42 days to the by-election in Assin North, and a Returning Officer is yet to be appointed for same, any transfer of voters to Assin North will be unlawful and same shall be fiercely rejected by the NDC.
We are closely monitoring this situation and shall take every legitimate step to ensure that this illegal plot is not perpetrated by the Electoral Commission and their collaborators in the NPP.
Signed.
SAMMY GYAMFI
(National Communication Officer)
