2024 Elections We Wont Shield Any of Our Officers Found Complicit in Any Malpractices EC

The Electoral Commission would like to assure the Public that it will not shield any of its Officers(both permanent and temporary) found complicit in any electoral malpractices and will always allow such persons to face the full rigours of the law.

At a Press Conference on Monday, September 2, 2024, the Commission explained that, on Monday, 26th August, 2024, it received a report from its Northern Regional Directorate that some voters from two polling stations in the Tamale South constituency and one Polling Station in the Sagnerigu Constituency had been transferred to the Pusiga constituency in the Upper East Region without prior information or consent from the Electoral Commission.

"The Commission is currently investigating. While the Commission does not have any evidence to believe that this occurrence is widespread, we have instituted investigations to ascertain if similar incidents occurred elsewhere beyond the reported case in the Tamale South and Sagnerigu Constituencies. Any such transfers will be reversed and the perpetrators of such acts shall be dealt with according to the law," it stated.

Highlighting the conditions an individual who wishes to have his or her vote transferred as premised in Regulation 22, Sub-Regulation 1 of Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 127, the commission stated that, “A registered voter who before an election is resident for not less than twelve months in a constituency other than that in which the registered voter is registered, may apply to the returning officer of the constituency where the registered voter is resident for the name of the registered voter to be entered on the transferred voters list of a polling station in that constituency.”

The Commission further added that, per the outcome of the investigations regarding the incident recorded at the Sagnerigu and Tamale South constituencies, the voters involved have denied their participation in the transfer exercise but alluded that their ID Cards were allegedly collected by one Haruna Muniru.

“The voters involved in the Tamale South and Sagnerigu Constituencies incident have denied taking part in a transfer exercise. What they have alluded to is that their Voter ID Cards were collected by one Haruna Muniru ostensibly for the processing of a loan. The said Haruna Muniru was in Police custody last week.  He is currently on bail and Police investigations persist.”

The Commission further said that, voters transfer were effected for some thirty-eight (38) individuals using the credentials of an Electoral Commission official.

“The records of those transfers are captured in the Voter Management System’s (VMS) audit logs. A look at the verification done during the transfer process shows that photos of the voters from their Voter ID Cards were used for facial verification and to effect the transfers.”Kobina Darlington/