Tensions are rising in Fanteakwa North constituency in Eastern Region as allegations emerge against the New Patriotic Party(NPP) Parliamentary Candidate Kwame Appiah Kodua for attempting to manipulate the voters register by bussing in individuals from other constituencies.
Tensions escalated Thursday afternoon as the opposition NDC resolved to resist the voter transfer of the alleged non residents resulting in near clashes prompting reinforcement of Police to the District office of Electoral Commission.
The Fanteakwa North Communication Officer for the NDC, Mohammed Awal, the NPP candidate has been transporting people from New Juaben North, New Juaben South, Abuakwa North, and Abuakwa South to transfer their votes to Fanteakwa North.
“We have observed with utmost disgust the attempt by the NPP Parliamentary Candidate to bloat our voters register in his favour by importing foreigners from other constituencies,” Awal stated. He further claimed, “
The NPP, after analyzing the current voters register, has realized that the numbers do not favour their candidate, putting him at a disadvantage in the parliamentary elections.”
Awal explained that the figures from last year’s and this year’s limited voter registrations look alarming for the NPP candidate, prompting him to resort to these measures.
“The truth is that the NPP’s candidate is not marketable and wants to impose himself on the people of Fanteakwa North,” he said.
The Electoral Commission’s guidelines on voter transfer stipulate that an applicant must be a resident in their current constituency for no less than twelve months.
“The people the NPP candidate is bussing into the constituency are not residents and, therefore, are not qualified to transfer their votes,” Awal emphasized.
He stressed the importance of allowing the people of Fanteakwa North to choose their Member of Parliament freely. “We in the NDC will fiercely resist the desperate attempt by the NPP candidate to subvert the will of the good people of Fanteakwa North,” Awal declared.
“This act of bussing people from other constituencies to Fanteakwa North is a clear indication that the NPP government has failed the people of Fanteakwa North and, by extension, the good people of Ghana,” he added.
Awal called on various authorities to address the issue. “We are, by this press release, calling on the District Commander of Police, traditional authorities, CSOs, the clergy, Imams, and all right-thinking members of society to come out and condemn what is happening, as it has the tendency to destabilize the peace in the area,” he urged.
Efforts to get the Fanteakwa North constituency Communication officer of NPP for a reaction failed.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
