The Electoral Commission (EC) has suspended the Pusiga District Director over alleged involvement in the illegal transfer of voters without their knowledge.
Deputy Chairman of Operations at the EC, Samuel Tettey, confirmed the suspension, highlighting that the district director is considered the main suspect in this case. The EC has launched an investigation into the matter.
Tettey explained that voter transfers typically require the individual’s presence at the district office, where their biometrics are taken and a new voter ID card reflecting their new polling station is issued. However, in the Pusiga case, voters reported that they were unaware of the transfers, yet their names appeared on the Pusiga constituency register.
In response, the EC has established a committee to investigate the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that the photographs on the voter ID cards of the affected individuals were used to facilitate the transfers without the voters’ consent. Tettey assured that any EC officials found to have participated in the illegal transfers would be dismissed.
The incident was discussed during the 2nd Speaker’s Seminal Lecture held in Tamale, where Tettey also addressed the commission’s preparedness for the upcoming December elections.
The lecture, themed “Working Together, Rebuilding Trust for Free, Fair, Credible and Peaceful Elections: The Role of Stakeholders,” featured Security Consultant Professor Kwesi Aning and Imani Africa’s Senior Vice President, Kofi Bentil, as key speakers.
Both speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration among election stakeholders to ensure credible elections. Mr Bentil, in particular, criticized the EC’s perceived autocratic approach in recent years and urged the commission to engage more with stakeholders.
In response, Tettey stated that the EC remains open to consultations and welcomes recommendations that would contribute to successful elections. He reassured the public that the EC is committed to conducting the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in a manner that reflects the will of the Ghanaian people.