EC practically disenfranchising thousands at Legon – Bawumia

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says the Electoral Commission (EC) is "practically disenfranchising" thousands of students at the University of Ghana, Legon, by stationing only one registration center there.

According to him, considering the population size of the school, the EC was supposed to site more than one registration center on the campus, but this was not done.

Dr. Bawumia made the comments when he visited some registration centers in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in the Greater Accra region as the EC's Limited Biometric Voter Registration exercise enters a second phase.

As scheduled, a typical registration center will have five days of the 10-day exercise after which it would be moved to another center. This, therefore, means that students of the University of Ghana will have to locate the next registration center outside the campus to get registered.

Speaking to Joy News, Dr. Bawumia said: “It is unbelievable that you have a potential students’ registrable population of 8,000 in Legon and we were able to register just about 400 people in the first phase of the registration”.

“This is really a practical disenfranchisement of the people”, he said adding the EC may not be doing that “intentionally, but practically” it is doing that.

He encouraged the EC: “To do what is right to bring a few more registration centers on Legon campus and anywhere else” there exist some challenges with the registration.

Commenting on the first phase of the EC registration exercise, Director of Elections of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the NDC is reviewing some of the skirmishes which took place and would react appropriately.

“Our people will bring evidence to prove what we have been saying”, he said.

Reacting to the allegation made by the former National Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Samia Nkrumah, that the NDC bused about 10, 000 people from Ivory Coast into Jomoro to take part in the registration exercise, Mr. Ampofo said it was “laughable”.

He asserted busing 10, 000 people will require using about 200 Yutong buses which he said was not done.

“It is worrying when people make propaganda comments”, he added.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | Email: [email protected]