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In June, the Supreme Court struck out an injunction against the limited voters’ registration filed by Umar Ayuba, a Ghanaian citizen.

Ayuba had prayed the Supreme Court to stop the Electoral Commission (EC) from going ahead with the registration just three days to the commencement of the exercise.

The injunction follows a substantive suit filed by the same individual challenging the decision by the EC to hold the registration in its district offices and some selected electoral areas.

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This dismissal of the interlocutory injunction paved way for the exercise which started on Monday, June 17.

Having gone on for the past 3 weeks, the registration of new voters came to an end last Sunday, 7th July.

However, it was fraught with many infractions and violence across some constituencies across the country.

READ ALSO: Voter registration exercise: Three injured following violent clash between NPP and NDC at Asawase

The leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern Region issued a statement accusing the National Democratic Congress of instituting violence on new voters across some of the constituencies in the region.

In a statement, the Northern Region NPP Director of Communications, Sule Salifu also asked the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to as a matter of urgency condemn the ‘unacceptable behaviour’ of their members.

Former President Jerry John Rawlings  with EC boss Jean Mensa
Former President Jerry John Rawlings with EC boss Jean Mensa

Gunshots were heard at the Tamale metro office of the Electoral Commission on Monday during the limited registration exercise.

The gunfire, according to reports, was to disperse the last batch of persons who were due to register.

It was earlier alleged that some NPP youth carried out the shootings.

However, the Northern Region NPP have been accusing the NDC of taking advantage of the limited voter registration exercise to create mayhem.

“NPP has taken notice of an attack of prospective registrants by thugs belonging to the NDC and wish to unequivocally condemn this. The EC had at the close of registration on Sunday issued out numbers to those who were unable to register by close of day Sunday.”

The above statement from the NPP in the Northern Region came off the back of a similar one issued by the NDC in the Ashanti Region.

Addressing the media in Kumasi, Kwame Zu, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, said: “although the decision of the court to grant that order is surprising and disappointing, we are not unfazed by the sustained and instigated efforts of sensitive State Institutions to intimidate and thwart our genuine efforts at contributing towards the improvement of our electoral processes.

John Boadu NPP General Secretary
John Boadu NPP General Secretary

According to the party, the nine constituencies within the Kumasi metropolis have their offices at the regional office of the Electoral Commission and the decision to carry out the exercise there will mean people are being registered outside their respective constituencies.

“With the current arrangement by the Electoral Commission, eligible registrants from Bantama, Subin, Manhyia North, Manhyia South, Oforikrom, Suame, Tafo, Asokwa and Kwadaso constituencies would all register within Nhyiaeso constituency,” he said.

Also, there have been numerous reports from various centers across the country on how slow the process was and the inability of many people to be captured.

In light of this, the national leadership of the NDC has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to extend the exercise.

Speaking on behalf of the party, the the Volta Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Henry Ametefee, stated that the exercise in the region had suffered some major challenges.

He said the overflow of people at the various centres in the constituencies showed that a higher number of people would not be able to register by the deadline.

Mr Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of NDC
Mr Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of NDC

He said there had been major irregularities and setbacks since the process started, including machine breakdowns, shortage of registration materials, power outages and a slow process which led to many people who went to the centres on a daily basis not being registered.

However, this call has been dismissed by the EC insisting that the exercise has been successful.

A Communications Officer at the EC, Ms Sylvia Annor, told the Daily Graphic that all was not lost for people who could not register because the commission had an “in-built special mechanism to take care of them”.

Ms Annor said EC officials would remain at the registration centres, mainly at the district offices of the commission to register those with the numbers.

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