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Pusiga District EC Officer Suspended Over Illegal Transfer of 38 Voters

The Electoral Commission (EC) has suspended its Pusiga District Electoral Officer following investigations into the unauthorised transfer of 38 voters into the Pusiga Constituency without their consent.

Date Created : 9/1/2024 : Story Author : Theresa Workartey/ Ghanadistricts.com

The EC's Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey, disclosed the development and assured the public that officials found culpable in the illegal transfers would face appropriate sanctions.

The affected voters were reportedly transferred from polling stations in the Tamale South and Sagnarigu constituencies to Pusiga without being physically present to request the transfers.

According to the EC, its preliminary investigations established that the transfers were processed using the credentials of an EC official. Audit logs from the Voter Management System also confirmed the transactions.

The Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Eric Bossman Asare, explained that under the electoral regulations, a voter seeking to transfer their vote must be physically present at the district office, where their identity is verified through facial recognition or fingerprints.

Investigations further revealed that photographs of the affected voters obtained from their voter identification cards were allegedly used to complete the facial verification process and effect the transfers without their knowledge.

The EC said it had established a committee to investigate the matter and had suspended the Pusiga District Electoral Officer to prevent any interference with the investigations. The Commission also invited the officer to respond to the findings.

A man identified as Haruna Muniru, who was alleged to have collected the voter ID cards of some of the affected persons under the pretext of assisting them to process loans, had also been arrested and granted bail pending further investigations.

The EC assured the public that any illegal transfers identified would be reversed and that individuals found responsible would be dealt with according to the law.

The Commission also urged the public to maintain confidence in the electoral process, stressing that the provisional voters register was subject to verification and correction before the final register was produced.