Voter registration: NDC smuggling in Togolese – NPP

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of seeking to gain undue advantage in the November 7 general elections by registering foreigners from Togo.

The Electoral Commission will open the register of voters for limited registration from 28 April to 8 May 2016, to enable Ghanaians, who have attained the voting age of 18, as well as those who could not register during the last registration, to have their names entered into the electoral roll.

Volta regional chairman of the NPP, John Peter Amewu told Class News his party is closely monitoring the NDC and will marshal forces to thwart the governing party’s moves to smuggle in foreigners to register in the upcoming exercise.

“What the NDC has done over the period now has been brought to public scrutiny. We know how they got their votes. Most of those votes from the region, of course, were questionable. There is no denying the fact that people are being brought from the Republic of Togo, and, so, we are putting in measures” he stated.

“Now the NDC is in the Republic of Togo trying to recruit people and we are trying to march them this time boot for boot and we are going to stop them this time from all those malpractices, and, so, our strategy is definitely going to push us to a level where we are going to achieve our specified target” he added.

Meanwhile, the NDC has rubbished the NPP’s allegation accusing the opposition party of playing mischief.

The Volta Regional Chairman of the NDC, John Kwadwo Gyapong told Class News nobody can prevent Ghanaians in Togo from coming home to register.

“If Ghanaians come from Togo to register, who will stop them?” he asked.

“There are a lot of conditions and systems that you can use to determine if somebody is a Ghanaian or not. There are processes that you go through, so, I am always worried that they (NPP) cry wolf when there is no wolf anywhere”, he said.

Mr Gyapong said the NDC is only creating awareness about the need for people in the region, who have turned 18 to register in the limited registration.

“We are preparing, we are asking, we are educating, we are also helping and telling people to go and register if they are 18 years and above, if they are Ghanaians, so, it is not like we are preparing Togolese nationals to come and register”.