2016 Polls: Central Gonja District Records High Voter Transfer Patronage

The ongoing voter transfer exercise is recording high patronage in the Central Gonja District ahead of the December 7 polls. This is attributed to free transportation offered by politicians to and from the district office coupled with massive announcements and encouragement by the political parties.

The two major political parties, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) transport electorates who registered at places they no longer reside.

The central Gonja district office of the electoral commission has in nine days recorded 591 vote transfers. This was as of September 20.

The voter transfer has since September 9 been opened to enable electorates who registered in some constituencies but wish to vote in different constituencies. The exercise is expected to end on October 7.

Photo Credit Alima Bawa Tamale
Photo Credit Alima Bawa Tamale

Even though there were long queues at the District office, electorates were enthusiastic of staying on because they were being fed well by the various political parties who transported them there. Some also said they saw the need to exercise their right to vote for them they want to govern or represent them in Parliament.

ghnewsnow.com Northern Regional Editor Alima Bawa reports, the two major political parties have seriously taken the voter transfer exercise very serious “I witnessed the arrival of some of the vehicles with posters of various parliamentary candidates on them transporting people from Sankpala, Domeabra and Yapei” she noted.

according to Alima majority of the people she meet at the EC’s office were heardpoters “My interactions with some electorates indicate they were head porters in Accra and Kumasi during the registration period”.

According to Ayishetu Kasenyi, she would have not transferred her vote if there was no free transportation. This she said was because she could not afford GHC 18.00 to and from Buipe just to transfer her vote. She sees no need to spend that much only to enable her vote for people who would assume power and forget them. “I will still remain a charcoal producer while they lavish money on unproductive things and feeding their families well while I sleep on my tommy at night”

Story By : Alima Bawa /Tamale

 

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