Clashes erupt in Asuogyaman during voter registration over alleged non-residents

Tensions flared during the ongoing voter registration exercise when, at midnight, supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) confronted alleged non-residents reportedly bused in from Ketu North's Afefe area to register.

The alleged non-residents were said to have been brought in from the hometown of Pius Enam Hadzide, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate.

NDC supporters insisted that the alleged non-residents be returned to their communities, arguing that they were ineligible to register.

This led to heated altercations and increased tension in the area. The police intervened, arresting the suspects and later granting them bail.

All suspects were challenged by NDC agents at the voter registration center on Wednesday, May 8, after they defiantly went through the process.

NDC Constituency Secretary Clement Amagatse dismissed reports claiming the Asuogyaman MP used offensive language against Ewes during the confrontation, stating the MP was not present at the scene.

Instead, he accused Hadzide’s close associates of insulting Ewes who support the MP instead of their own.

The Electoral Commission's limited voter registration exercise began on Tuesday, May 7, aiming to register approximately 623,000 first-time voters across Ghana.

The exercise is set to last for 21 days, ending on May 27, 2024.

Due to online registration challenges, the EC announced it would switch to offline registration starting May 9, 2024.