EC’s polling station mantra could spark violence – Chief Imam

The office of the National Chief Imam Sheikh Nuhu Shaributu has cautioned the Electoral Commission against hammering on its mantra that ‘elections are won only at polling stations’.

The EC in its attempt to encourage vigilance from political parties have always maintained elections are won at polling stations and not at their offices, including their so called strong room.

Former Chairman of the commission Dr. Afari Gyan during the election petition hearing reiterated the point that the EC does not tamper with votes that are filed to their data systems after they leave the polling stations.

But spokesperson for the National Chief Imam Sheik Shuab Ayeremeyaw told Starr News the mantra has the tendency to breed acrimony at the various polling stations during the November polls.

“If you consider the context of that mantra; it came during the eight-month long election petition period. Afari Gyan himself said that elections are won at the polling stations. What it meant to the losing parties is that probably they were less vigilant. In that mantra, the attribute of fairness and freeness required in a democratic environment was not highlighted.

“So what it means is that by all means you have to win your election at the polling station; it could be interpreted as such. When people become extra vigilant, it creates a tensed environment and we could easily flip into violence and those are the signs we saw in the limited voters registration exercise,” he noted.