Court Orders Electoral Commission To Reverse Fraudulent Transfer Of Over 500 Voters To Manhyia South

• The Electoral Commission has been ordered to reverse the transfer of 584 voters to the Manhyia South Constituency
• Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the Manhyia South parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party, sued over allegedly suspicious transfers
• The National Democratic Congress has alleged to have found similar discrepancies in the provisional voters register

A Magistrate Court in Kumasi has ordered the Electoral Commission to reverse the transfer of 584 voters to the Manhyia South Constituency.

The court held that these vote transfers were done fraudulently.

Daily Guide reported that the court came to its ruling after repeated no-shows by the affected voters. These voters were expected to defend their eligibility to transfer to Manhyia South Constituency.

Owusu Bempah, the Manhyia South Constituency New Patriotic Party (NPP) Research and Election Affairs Officer, noted a surge in voter transfers to the constituency during the voter transfer exercise.

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This culminated in the parliamentary candidate, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, suing over the transfers, per Onua Online.

Daily Guide also reported that the NPP produced landlords as witnesses, stating that 584 individuals had illegally used their addresses as residences.

Despite multiple court summonses, only three individuals appeared to defend themselves and were subsequently cleared to vote in Manhyia South.

Dr. Ezekiel Agyekum-Obeng, a New Patriotic Party communicator, told YEN.com.gh the case affirmed the NPP’s belief in the rule of law.

"When it comes to certain electoral issues, we believe in due process. It is about working with the Electoral Commission, and when you believe your concerns cannot be addressed, you head to court,” he said.

NDC concerns over voters register

This ruling comes as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) continues to allege discrepancies in the provisional voters register following the exhibition process.

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It also said it had identified illegal vote transfers in areas like Pusiga but has yet to provide evidence to the commission.

The NDC even called for an audit, which the commission rejected despite subsequent demonstrations.

The party previously said that it was concerned that the register had been deliberately bloated ahead of the December polls.

After receiving a petition from the opposition party following its recent nationwide protest, the commission said processes towards producing a final voter register were still in their early stages.

Bernard Mornah sues Electoral Commission

YEN.com.gh reported that Bernard Mornah sued the EC over his disqualification from the presidential race.

He also wanted a forensic audit of the nomination forms of all qualified candidates vying for the position.

The aspirant was among 11 presidential aspirants disqualified from contesting the presidential election.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh