The Communication Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Yaw Buaben Asamoa, has said no machine or equipment in the world could have detected who a minor or foreigner is with regard to the recently-ended voter registration exercise.

The Electoral Commission (EC) admitted on Wednesday that foreigners and minors have found their way into the new voter roll that was just compiled ahead of the 2020 polls.

The influx of foreigners into Ghana for the exercise, was one of the many reasons the Commission, backed by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), insisted on compiling a new roll to make the register credible.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the chairperson of the election management body, Mrs Jane Mensa, admitted that some unqualified persons had registered.

“The Commission is mindful of the infiltration of foreigners at a number of our registration centres.

“Additionally, we are aware that a number of minors have also found their way into the register,” Mrs Mensa said.  

She, however, expressed confidence that the challenge processes initiated at all districts throughout the country, will unearth “these illegal persons and rid the register of those who do not qualify to be on the register.”

The Challenge system contributes to ensuring and guaranteeing the credibility of the register.

It allows a qualified registered voter to challenge the registration of an applicant on the grounds that the applicant does not satisfy the laid-down criteria, namely; that the applicant is not a Ghanaian, he/she is not 18 years old and that the applicant is not of sound mind.

At the end of the exercise, the EC said the number of challenged cases amounted to 37,762 representing 0.20% of the total register.

The Oti Region had the highest number of challenged cases per population with 0.51% of registrations’ eligibility being questioned.

This is followed by the Ahafo Region, where 0.38% of registrations were challenged, and then the Volta Region, with 0.37% of the registrants challenged.

Speaking about the minors and foreigners featuring in the new roll, Mr Buaben Asamoa told Accra100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom host Kwabena Prah Jr on Thursday, 13 August 2020 that the party is happy about the EC’s admission of that anomaly as well as its resolve to clean the register of such names.

He also expressed satisfaction about the work done by the EC.

“They’ve done a good job, we’re happy about their work”, he told Prah Jr.

According to him, “had the EC maintained the old roll and added more to it through a limited registration exercise, just like the EC said, that document would have been bloated by three million”.