Limited Registration Exercise EC Officer Arrested for Registering 17 Persons with Fake Ghana Card Numbers In Pusiga

The Electoral Commission has issued a statement in relation to an incident in which an electoral officer was said to have registered about 17 persons with invalid Ghana cards at the Pusiga district office.

The statement signed by the Acting Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Michael Boadu, during the Voters Registration Exercise on 13th May, 2024, a Data Entry Clerk noticed a suspicious Ghana Card numbers on 17 Registration Forms. Upon seeing the anomalies, the clerk immediately drew the attention of the District Electoral Officer.

The Electoral officer, according to the statement, realised that the Ghana cards were fake after thorough investigations was conducted.

“Upon investigations, it was revealed that the Ghana Card numbers were fake. It was further discovered that the Registration Officer was complicit because he did not physically inspect the Ghana Card of individual applicants but rather accepted the fake numbers from Party Agents who had accompanied the 17 applicants,” excerpts of the press release explained.

In order to ensure transparency and electoral integrity, the Commission have taken actions following the unfortunate incidents. This include the outright dismissal of the Registration Officer.

The Commission noted that the said Registration Officer has been arrested by the officials of the Ghana Police Service to help with investigation, following a formal complaints by the Electoral Commission

The 17 Applicants, in order not to violate their constitutional rights, were registered using the Guarantor system.

“While the Police persist with their investigations, the Commission would like to warn all its Temporary Officials that it will not countenance the breach of its electoral laws. Any person found violating the laws of the Commission will be handed over to the Police and permanently blacklisted by the Commission,” the EC cautioned.  

The Electoral Commission thereby, assured all its stakeholders and the general public that the Voters Registration Exercise is being conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner, thus, encouraging Ghanaians to have the confidence that the Commission will deliver on its mandate as far as free, fair, credible and transparent election is concerned.

“Despite the obstacles encountered in the first two days, the Commission is on schedule to register the projected 623,000 voters by the end of the exercise. We count on the cooperation and vigilance of all citizens to ensure that the remaining period of the registration is peaceful and successful.”

.Kobina Darlington/