Politics of Sunday, 19 July 2020

Source: David Cameron Abakah, Contributor

Mpohor NPP Parliamentary candidate's residential status and eligibility approved

John Kobina Sanie's eligibility for the election has been approved John Kobina Sanie's eligibility for the election has been approved

The Mpohor district registration review committee has approved the residential status and eligibility of NPP's John Kobina Sanie.

It will be recalled that on July 14, 2020, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate For Mpohor Constituency went to Mpohor D/A JHS in the Atwerboanda Electoral Area to register for a new voter ID card, only to be vehemently challenged by Alexander Ofori, agent for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who was monitoring the exercise for his party.

Alexander Ofori questioned John Sanie's eligibility and residential status in the Mpohor constituency and initiated a challenge procedure against him.

The Mpohor District Chief Electoral Officer, Mercy Hammond, therefore, activated EC’s procedures to withhold the issuance of John Sanie's voter ID card, to allow the District Registration Review Committee to give a fair hearing to all the parties involved.

On July 16, 2020, the District Registration Review Committee established that John Kobina Sanie is a full indigene and resident of Atwereboanda electoral area in Mpohor. Further checks also revealed that John Sanie voted at the same polling station in the 2016 General Elections and December 2019 District Assembly Elections, thus nullifying the challenge.

The NDC agent, Alexander Ofori, had earlier redrew his challenge, and apologised, having admitted that his opposition was erroneous and lacked merit due the evidence provided.

Upon the power vested in the EC, John Kobina Abbam Abuah Sanie was issued his new voter ID card to bring closure to a calamitous challenge.

The NPP parliamentary candidate-elect said genuine challenge initiatives are part of the voter registration process and called for due diligence to assist the EC as it fulfils a constitutional mandate and serve every Ghanaian legitimately.

He appealed to voters in the Mpohor constituency to stay focused and ensure "four more years for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as well as maintaining the Mpohor parliamentary seat for the NPP."