Akatsi EC official flouted electoral laws - verified residents at home

An EC officer was discovered to have flouted the electoral laws of Ghana by verifying people in their homes, during the just-ended nationwide verification and re-registration exercise of the Electoral Commission. The exhibition officer one Paul Adzaho, at the Wute E.P. Primary School center, was seen moving the verification machine from house to house to verify residents of Wute in the Akatsi South Constituency of the Volta Region. Some residents in the area alleged that Mr Adzaho undertook the illegal activity with the connivance of one Nasimu Gbemu, the ward chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the assembly member of the area, Sulleyman Seidu.

According to the residents, Paul is also a known activist of the NDC in the area. They disclosed that he contested as a youth organiser at the last NDC constituency elections. A petition dated August 3 and signed by one Ibrahim Salifu Adotey, a former Nasara Coordinator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency, confirmed that the attention of the Electoral Commission in Akatsi South was drawn to the matter for their action.

The Regional Electoral Officer, Selormey Adukpo Dogbey, confirmed that the incident really happened, but not as was alleged by the residents. He explained that just few days into the verification and re-registration exercise, he had a call from Akatsi about the development. He directed the district office to investigate the matter immediately. Consequently, the two officers at the Wute E.P Primary School centre were dismissed.