By Two Togolese nationals are presently detained by the Jasikan Municipal Police Command for trying to partake in Ghana’s ongoing voter registration exercise.
National Security officers arrested them on Sunday, May 19, and subsequently handed them over to the police for legal proceedings.
According to the National Security officers, leaders of a local political party allegedly brought the suspects to the Jasikan Municipal Registration Centre on Sunday. Additionally, they claimed that after the arrest, political leaders from the Buem Constituency attempted to secure bail for the two suspects but were unsuccessful.
This incident mirrors a recent arrest in Asokore Mampong, Ashanti Region, where two Nigeriens were apprehended last week. Their inability to convince Electoral Commission officers and the police about their eligibility to register as Ghanaian voters led to their arrest.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has issued a stern warning to political parties, urging them to prevent their regional and constituency executives from transporting minors and foreigners to registration centers.
During a press briefing in Accra on May 13, Deputy Electoral Commissioner Dr. Bossman Asare emphasized the crucial responsibility of political parties in ensuring the integrity of the voter register.
“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,” he added.
