Asuogyaman Assembly members descend on MP over alleged illegal voter transfer

Some Assembly members in the Asuogyaman Constituency of the Eastern Region have heavily criticised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, over allegations of executing an illegal voter transfer scheme ahead of this year's parliamentary elections.

At a press conference on the premises of the local Assembly, the Assembly members stated that the development tarnishes the registration and voter transfer processes as the country prepares for a major election in December.

According to them, Nyarko allegedly bused non-residents of Asuogyaman from surrounding constituencies to illegally transfer their votes to Asuogyaman. They insisted that the bused individuals came from Lower Manya Krobo, Upper Manya Krobo, North Tongu, and South Dayi.

Assembly Member for the Senchi Electoral Area, Zurak Abdul Hamid, who addressed the media on behalf of his colleagues, said the development was a blot on the integrity of the electoral process. Hamid argued that these actions compromise the democratic rights of genuine residents and undermine the fairness of the electoral process.

He stated, "Our democratic system relies on fair and transparent elections, where every vote is a true reflection of the constituents' will.

"... The practice of transporting people to manipulate the voter register not only disrupts this balance but also raises serious ethical and legal questions," he added.

NDC Response:

Meanwhile, scores of NDC party executives and faithful who got wind of the press conference stormed the Assembly premises. They not only denied the allegations but also counteraccused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of engaging in the illegal voter transfer act. Speaking on behalf of the party, Felix Bonney, the NDC Deputy Communication Officer for the Asuogyaman Constituency, alleged that the NPP was instead neck-deep in the practice.