The Electoral Commission (EC) office in the Tamale Metropolis has expressed deep concern regarding what it describes as attempts by political parties to include ineligible voters in the registration process.
The Tamale Metro Director of the Commission, Bismark Nteh, expressed dismay that despite numerous discussions with political parties to discourage this unlawful practice, their efforts have proven ineffective.
Mr. Nteh is apprehensive that this misconduct may have future repercussions for the individuals involved when their falsified ages come back to haunt them. Consequently, he urged parents to dissuade their children from engaging in such activities.
“I would like to implore parents not to allow political parties to deceive them into thinking that by inflating the number of registrants, they will achieve their desired goals. These children will face consequences in the future. There will come a time when they will need their actual ages for something, and it will negatively impact them,” stated the Tamale Metro Director of the Electoral Commission in the Northern Region.
In a related development, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has squarely blamed the Electoral Commission for disruptions during the ongoing limited voter registration process.
This accusation follows an alleged attack on citizens who had gathered to register for their Voter ID Cards at the Okaikwei North District office of the Electoral Commission in Achimota on Sunday morning.
NDC Constituency Chairman for Okaikwei North, Gregory Quarshie, emphasized the critical importance of well-prepared and efficient electoral processes to maintain a secure and smooth environment for citizens to exercise their democratic rights.
“This is an issue artificially created by the EC because people arrive early, but they are not registered on time. The entire EC must take responsibility,” remarked the NDC Constituency Chairman for Okaikwei North.
However, the Greater Accra Regional Branch of the NDC has decided to provide transportation for individuals who may find it challenging to access registration centers.
According to Regional Chairman Emmanuel Nii Ashie-Moore, this step is necessary to ensure that many party members who have reached the age of 18 and above are registered.
This decision comes in response to calls from some political parties for the EC to increase the number of registration centers for the exercise scheduled from September 12 to October 2, 2023.
These parties argued that the 268 EC district offices designated for the exercise were insufficient to meet the demand.