The Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Benjamin Bannoh Bio, has issued a stern warning regarding individuals associated with political parties who are involved in transporting potential voters to registration centres within the region. 

Mr Bio emphasised that such actions are contrary to the law, and the Electoral Commission will not hesitate to report those responsible to the appropriate authorities for legal action.

Speaking during an interview on Accra 100.5 FM's mid-day news on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, Mr Bio addressed rumours of people allegedly busing potential voters to registration centres. 

While he stated that he had not received any official reports on such incidents, he made it clear that anyone caught engaging in this activity would be handed over to the authorities to face the full consequences of the law.

In light of these concerns, the Electoral Commission conducted various awareness campaigns to inform potential voters about the location of their district offices, he added.

Mr Bio further advised first-time voters who were having difficulty finding their registration centres to contact their Assembly Members for guidance to the district electoral centres.

Mr Bio strongly stressed on the practice of transporting applicants to registration centres, emphasising that it is unlawful. 

He reiterated that the Electoral Commission would not hesitate to report individuals involved in such activities to the appropriate authorities.

In terms of the limited voter registration exercise, Mr Bio disclosed that on the first day, September 12, 2023, the region had successfully registered 2,240 applicants.

Among the registrants, 53.7 percent were male, while 46.7 percent were female. Notably, 46.4 percent of applicants registered using Ghana cards, with 0.9 percent opting for passports. A significant number, 52.7 percent of registrants, relied on guarantors to complete their registration.

Mr Bio also mentioned that there were challenges related to network connectivity during the exercise's initial stages. However, he reassured that these issues had been resolved amicably. Overall, he described the registration exercise as "very peaceful."