Two Togolese have been arrested for attempting to register as voters at Buem during the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.
Officers of the National Security arrested the two Togolese men at Buem and handed them over to the Police. They will be processed for Court. The National Security Officers said one of the political parties brought the two men to the area to register. They did not disclose which political party is responsible.
However, they said when the two were arrested, the leaders that brought them to register came to the Jasikan Municipal Police Command where they are held in custody to secure bail for the two Togolese. Their request was bail was, however, unsuccessful.
NDC tags NPP with importing foreigners to register
Since the start of the exercise on May 7, there have been accusations of political parties busing in foreigners to register. The NDC has been in the news with fingers pointing at the NPP for transporting foreigners to Ghana to vote.
Peter Amewu, the MP for Hohoe was accused by the NDC of busing in Togolese to register in the constituency. The NDC parliamentary candidate, Worlanyo Tsekpo alleged that the NPP “brought people from St Mary’s, Lolobi and they sew uniforms for people, people who are Togolese” to pretend like they were Ghanaians students so they can register.
In the Upper East Region, the NDC alleged that the NPP’s Pusiga parliamentary candidate, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, brings people in buses from Burkina Faso to register in the area.
Electoral Commission Response
In the wake of the complaints, the Electoral Commission responded by admitting it has received news from its officers alleging that political parties bring in foreigners to register. The Commission said it was a big problem and urged the security agencies to deal with culprits while also urging political parties to avoid the practice.
We continue to receive reports that minors and non-Ghanaians are being encouraged by certain persons who are members of political parties to register as voters… We beseech the national leadership of the political parties to discourage their executives in the regions and the constituencies from transporting minors and foreigners to the registration centres. The objective of the Commission as always has been to have a credible register for the 2024 elections.”
“We believe the political parties, as the main stakeholders in the general elections, must be dedicated to supporting a credible register as well. Consequently, we find attempts by parties to support the registration of minors and foreigners completely unacceptable and aimed at undermining the country’s electoral democracy,” Deputy EC Chairman Bossman Asare said on May 13.
Further, the EC made a case for the use of the Ghana Card as the sole document to register voters, arguing it will eliminate these instances of foreigners coming in to register.
“We are hopeful that in the next registration exercise, applicants will use the Ghana card as the means of identification.”
