Angry parent storms registration center after son was arrested

An enraged parent stormed into the New Juaben South voter registration center on Saturday, May 11, 2024, to expose the Electoral Commission following revelations that his 18-year-old son had been apprehended for double registration.

Martin Yaw Boateng, the aggrieved parent, expressed frustration over the Electoral Commission's alleged failure to remove his son's name from the voter register despite having taken the necessary steps in 2020.

Boateng revealed that his son, who was 14 years old at the time, and his 12-year-old daughter were unlawfully registered in 2020 by unknown political actors allegedly associated with the ruling party, against their will. This prompted him to formally request the removal of their names from the register in a letter dated July 23, 2020.

"I humbly submit this letter to your esteemed office to plead for the deletion of the names: Boateng Kwakye Martin, age 14, with Voter ID Card No. 2588022436, and Boateng Akosua Pomaa, age 12, with Voter ID Card No. 2588022035. These minors were registered with false information by unknown persons. Please find attached a copy of a supporting affidavit sworn by myself. I am counting on your usual cooperation," the copy of the letter stated.

The committee established by the EC to address such cases reviewed the matter, confiscated the Voter ID cards of the minors, and assured that the EC would expunge their names.

However, the father was shocked to discover that his son's name remained on the register four years later, resulting in his arrest on Saturday morning for double registration.

"The incident has traumatized my son, through no fault of his own," Boateng said.

He urged the Electoral Commission to take immediate action to rectify the situation and ensure his son's right to vote is preserved.

In response, the Electoral Commission requested that Boateng return on Monday for further resolution of the matter.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission commenced its limited voter registration exercise on Tuesday, May 7, targeting first-time voters and those seeking to obtain a voter card.

Chairperson Madam Jean Mensa stated that the exercise aims to register approximately 623,000 first-time voters nationwide.

However, challenges with online registration prompted the EC to announce the commencement of offline voter registration on May 9, 2024.

Despite the shift to offline registration, persistent delays and long queues at registration centers have led to incomplete registrations before the end of the day.