Akufo-Addo condemns violence at voter registration centres

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has vehemently condemned some violence that occurred at some registration centre during the just ended voter registration exercise.

In his 15th televised address to Ghanaians, Nana Akufo-Addo, stated that those incidents are ‘regrettable’ but they were some ‘isolated incidents’ within the largely successful exercise.

He, then, advised the police to deal with those involved in the violence.

“By the grace of God, the work of the Electoral Commission, and the effective measures put in place by the government, these prophecies of doom did not materialize. There were, nonetheless, deeply regrettable, isolated incidents of violence, which I condemn unreservedly, and which I expect the Police to deal with without fear or favour, but the exercise was generally peaceful,” Akufo-Addo said.

The president responded to those ‘political naysayers’ who were opposing the compilation of new voters register but ended up registering.

He said some of them “who swore heaven and earth to resist the compilation of the register at the peril of their lives, ending up registering.”

He continued: “There were also those who offered delicate, personal sacrifices in the event of the register, again, ending up registering. And, there were those who claimed that, in the midst of a pandemic, the registration exercise should not be conducted, with some warning of an “explosion” in our case count and very high numbers of deaths, should the exercise go ahead.”

Nana Akufo-Addo expressed his profound gratitude to the Electoral Commission (EC) over the ‘orderly and safe’ conduct of the ‘most incredible’ voter registration which contradicts the widespread condemnation of the exercise over.

“The Electoral Commission has completed the successful compilation of a new register ahead of the conduct of the 2020 general election. On behalf of the people of Ghana, I congratulate warmly, the Chairperson of the electoral Commission, Ms. Jean Mensa, her two deputies, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare and Mr. Samuel Tetteh and the entire commission for their efficient, safe and transparent nature of the registration exercise,” he said.