Voters who had thronged the Ghana Apostolic Church in the Ablekuma North to cast their votes protested against the presiding officer accusing him of causing delay in the voting process.
Mr George S. Ayirebi-Acquah, the presiding officer, was alleged to be using a poll book, which did not have the names of many voters.
According to the voters, Mr Ayirebi Acquah was using the poll book instead of the master list.
While others were chanting war songs like: “Ye nea abere” meaning “we will not take chances,” others shouted “Whether the electoral officer likes it or not we will be in the queue until the next day.”
While the noise increased at the centre, church service also started at the premises.
The noise made by angry voters attracted more security personnel and an official of Electoral Commission, Mrs Rebecca Allotey to the scene.
Mr John Dadzie, a voter who arrived at the centre at 0200 hours, said because of the attitude of the presiding officer only a few people had voted as at 0845 hours.
“Since 0200 hours only 20 people have voted,” Mr
Dadzie alleged. According to Mr Dadzie, the new list used by the
Presiding Officer did not have the names of voters arranged in
alphabetically making it difficult to locate voters’ names. Mr Ayirebi-Acquah in an interview with journalists
explained that the list given to them by the Electoral Commission
was creating problems pointing out that he was now using the
master list alongside the poll book. “If a voter comes and does not find his or her name in
the poll book, I cross check with the master list of the EC and
allow him or her to vote,” he said. He denied that the names of voters had been removed
from the register. Mrs Allotey told voters to exercise restraint saying if
their names were not found in the poll book, once their names
were on the master list of the EC they would be allowed to vote. At the time the GNA was leaving the centre, security
personnel had arrived to ensure law and order.
Source: GhanaWeb
