A member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Emmanuel K.K. Anyimah, has accused the Electoral Commission of acting in a manner that is unfair and unjust in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.

He explained that registrants have been subjected to so much inconvenience, such as bearing the high cost of transportation despite being without jobs, and using an unstable network.

Mr Anyimah noted that it is the mandate of the Electoral Commissioner, Jean Mensa, and her commissioners to serve the country as stipulated in Articles 42 and 45 of the 1992 Constitution and not the other way around.

Speaking on Peace FM, he said: "So those who are registering are not people working. It is those who are 18, 19 years. They don't work. If you come to our end, most of them don't have the Ghana Card. So if they are coming they are come with two guarantors. The most annoying part of this thing is, EC uses just one network, MTN.

How many networks are in the country. Some villages only connect to Vodafone, AirtelTigo. So when the network goes bad, we just sit and wait. Why are Jean Mensa and the commissioners so wicked. What wrong have we done them. They have forgotten that their work is stipulated and enshrined in the constitution, Articles 42 and 45."

Article 42 states that "Every citizen of Ghana of eighteen years of age or above and of sound mind has the right to vote and is entitled to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda".

Whereas Article 45 lists the functions of the EC, which include:

to compile the register of voters and revise it at such periods as may be determined by law;

to demarcate the electoral boundaries for both national and local government elections;

to conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda;

to educate the people on the electoral process and its purpose;

to undertake programmes for the expansion of the registration of voters; and

to perform such other functions as may be prescribed by law.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has issued a warning to the Electoral Commission (EC) regarding its voter registration process, expressing concerns that it could jeopardize the nation's progress in upholding democracy.

Mr Ablakwa criticized the EC's choice to limit the registration to its district offices, deeming it undemocratic and potentially leading to the exclusion of numerous eligible voters.

He noted that disenfranchising voters is what has led to the tumbling of many democratic governments in Africa, hence such an approach may not augur well for the country.

“All of us don’t want coups to happen in our jurisdictions,” Ablakwa said. “But you see when public officials refuse to learn, it results in coups. The Gabon coup is an example and has ended in the disruption of their democracy. And we don’t want that in Ghana.”

“Look at the anger and outrage that the youth feel about these policies of Jean Mensa, Very autocratic, very undemocratic, no consultation whatsoever. And she is going ahead.”

In light of this, Mr Ablakwa has urged the Electoral Commission to engage in consultations with all relevant stakeholders regarding the ongoing voter registration process. Additionally, he encouraged the youth to actively register to vote and emphasized their role in holding the EC accountable should any registration issues arise.

Meanwhile, the EC has noted that it does not seek to disenfranchise any Ghanaian eligible to register. Madam Jean Mensa made this known when she engaged the press on Monday, September 18.