Some security officers in Tamale Central in the Northern Region have threatened to boycott their election duties on December 7 if they are not allowed to vote in Thursday’s special voting exercise.
At least 30 officers, including the Northern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ken Yeboah, have had their names missing from the voters’ register for the constituency.
Although their names were included in the provisional list released by the Electoral Commission, they were told Thursday morning that their names were missing from the master list being used by the electoral officials.
TV3 correspondent, Zubaida Ismail reports that the affected officers say they will abandon their duty post on election day, and travel to their original constituencies cast their vote because they cannot afford being disenfranchised.
According to Zubaida, DCOP Ken Yeboah said he would travel to Accra to cast his vote on election day if he is unable to do so before poll closes today.
The officers, our correspondent reports, were made to transfer their votes from their respective constituency to the Tamale Central where they will be stationed for electoral duties.
Our correspondent reported that: “Those officers who came on transfer are mostly from the Ashanti Region, although they transferred their votes to Tamale Central, their names are not there.
“They cannot find their names in the register. According to some, they submitted their names and after, a provisional list came out indicating their names were captured as those to vote in Tamale Central,” our correspondent reports.
She added: “But today, when they showed up at the polling centre, they were told their names were not in the master list though the provisional list had their names”.
“They’re giving their bosses option; either they get the EC to use the provisional list or they will boycott their duties on election because they cannot forgo their vote,” Zubaida reports.
Meanwhile, she reported that some of the affected officers who are from Northern Region have hired cars to travel to their original constituencies to check if they can find their names in the register so they cast their vote.
The issue of some voters not finding their names in the register appears to be widespread, especially in Accra.
3FM’s Station Manager, Petra Asamoah reports from the Dansoman Police Station in Ablekuma West in Accra that up to 5 police cannot find their names in the constituency’s register.
“Up to 5 police officers since I’ve been here, can’t find their names and have been asked to vote on 7 Dececmber. Queuing is orderly. 60% of the people are seated on benches, the rest are standing,” she reported.
From the Kaneshie Police Station in Okaikoi South, 3FM’s Sarah A. Parku reports that over 10 officers did not find their names in the register; a situation he said has caused disappointment to the officers who fear being disenfranchised.
She reported that electoral officials told the Police look at redesigning their deployment plan so that the affected officers can be posted to their original constituency where they can cast their vote and perform their electoral duties.
One of the affected officers who pled anonymity told 3News: “I feel so bad as a security man. This is an opportunity for me to vote and proceed to my duty [station] outside Accra”
From the Eastern Region, Yvonne Neequaye reports from Eastern Regional Police Training School in the New Juaben South that some officers could not find thjeir names ion the register.
The affected officers included the Regional Commander, DCOP Peterking Yentumi, whose original constituency Bolga in Upper East Region.
According to Yvonne, electoral officials have asked the affected officers, including fire service personnel to travel to New Juaben North to check if their names are in the lists there.
But she added that already, those who are supposed to also vote in the New Juaben North cannot also find their names in the register there.
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