The Electoral Commission of Ghana has issued a press release addressing the eligibility of a qualified parliamentary aspirant from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming Assin North by-election. The release was in response to statements made by the National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to the Electoral Commission, the qualification criteria for parliamentary candidates are outlined in Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution. It states that a person must be a registered voter, at least 21 years of age, and either hail from or reside in the constituency for a total of five years within the last ten years preceding the election.

The Commission dismissed the NDC's claim that the EC should also consider the provisions of CI 127, particularly the Nomination Form, in determining eligibility. The NDC argued that the phrase ‘of the same Constituency' on the form implies that a candidate must be a registered voter in the constituency they intend to contest. The Electoral Commission deemed this argument flawed, stating that the Nomination Form only requires the nominators to be registered voters in the constituency, not the candidate themselves.

The Commission highlighted a recent example where the NDC allowed their candidate, who was not a registered voter in Kumawu, to contest in a by-election in that constituency. The NDC did not raise any objections at that time, which contradicts their current allegations.

The Electoral Commission firmly refuted the allegations made by Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Officer of the NDC, that the EC is collaborating with the NPP to include an unregistered voter in the Assin North register. They emphasized that this allegation is false and baseless, calling on Sammy Gyamfi to provide evidence to support his claim.

The press release urged Sammy Gyamfi and the NDC to exercise maturity, decorum, and truthfulness in their discussions about the Electoral Commission. The Commission reassured the public of their commitment to conducting transparent, peaceful, and credible elections, and encouraged all well-meaning Ghanaians to disregard the unfounded allegations.

Ghana's democracy has matured, and the Electoral Commission emphasized the importance of focusing on campaigning rather than targeting the EC. The Commission remains dedicated to fulfilling its constitutional mandate and providing the public with accurate information.