Voter Fraud: Police Arrest Two Foreign Nationals in Oti Region
On Sunday, May 19, 2024 at about 4pm, two people believed to be Togolese nationals were apprehended by the Police in the Buem Constituency of the Jasikan District in the Oti Region.
The suspects were allegedly brought into the country by the executives of some politixal parties to partake in the ongoing voters registration exercise.
Reports say the apprehended individuals were part of a larger group brought in by constituency party executives. The arrested duo were part of the first batch of several individuals, with the rest of the group fleeing upon the arrival of security personnel.
The two suspects are currently in police custody at the Jasikan Divisional Police Command aiding investigations. The police say they are currently monitoring the situation closely, as it has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the voter registration process.
The current guarantor system has come under scrutiny, with accusations that executivs of both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are exploiting same to register foreign nationals fraudulently.
Sources say the Constituency Chairman and Organizers of the political parties are trying hard to secure bail for the detained individuals.
This incident has raised questions over the effectiveness of the guarantor system and the reasons behind the staunch support for its continued use.
Leadership of some of the political parties have consistently resisted the Electoral Commission’s efforts to eliminate the guarantor system in favor of exclusively using the GhanaCard as the primary identification for voter registration in Ghana.