There have been some clashes at the Electoral Commission (EC) head office at the Zabzugu-Tatale district in the Northern region resulting from some confusion over the the legitimacy of persons transferring their votes to the constituency.
The clashes were reportedly between some supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), and supporters of the independent candidate, also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) incumbent MP for Tatale-Sanguli Constituency, James Cecil Yanwube.
Some concerns raised were that some people trying to transfer their votes had not stayed in Tatale or Zabzugu for more than 2 years.
An eyewitness, who gave his name as Eric, spoke to Citi News and according to him, the tensions were escalated by the fact both that the Tatale-Sanguli and Zabzugu constituencies share one EC district office.
Eric noted that, “this morning there were more than 300, 400 who were here so a fight broke loose. It happened the whole of yesterday and today too, the same.”
“Some were arrested and detained and the police took them away. But the situation was getting out of hand so they had to call for back-up from Tatale, the immigration and some of the police,” he added.
Eric also indicated that more police back up from Yendi had arrived to maintain calm in the area along with some military personnel.
Because of the confusion, not more than 15 have been able to successfully transfer their votes at that office, Eric said.
Votes transfer tensions
The Central Gonja District, also in the Northern Region, saw some tensions over the ongoing votes transfer exercise when two vigilante groups of the NPP and the NDC clashed on Thursday, September 22.
The NPP group attempted to stop occupants of two mini buses, suspected to be aliens imported from Damongo by the NDC, from transferring their votes according to the district electoral Officer, Gariba Djampana-Jackob told Citi News.
Kukuom clashes
The EC was also forced to suspended the voter transfer exercise at Kukuom in the Brong Ahafo region following violent clashes between some supporters of the NPP and the NDC.
This was after the office of the NPP in the area was invaded by men believed to be supporters of the governing NDC.
The clashes led to an official of the EC sustaining cutlass wounds and the Asunafo South EC office was also ransacked by the unidentified men.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmoonline.com/Ghana