Politics of Wednesday, 1 July 2020

Source: dailymailgh.com

Muntaka roars over registration center near NPP chairman’s residence at Asawase

Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, Asawase MP Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, Asawase MP

There was near-chaos at one of the registration centers in the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region after NDC MP for the area Muntaka Mubarak called for the relocation of the said polling station.

Mr Muntaka expressed outrage over the siting of the Adom Drinking Spot Registration Center, amid claims the newly created registration center, is near the residence of a Ward Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He insisted the Electoral Commission must relocate the center since it could spark unwarranted suspicions.

“With the exception of this very polling station where we have this challenge, apart from the social distancing not being observed, you can’t place a polling station in somebody’s residence,” the lawmaker told the media.

He continued, “He has rooms. If someone comes with suspicions that he has packed people into the room, how can you say he should open his private room for you to inspect? We are saying that there is a school here, let’s relocate the polling station there.”

The legislator also accused the Electoral Commission of failing to engage stakeholders ahead of the exercise.

Municipal Chief Executive and NPP parliamentary candidate for the area, Alidu Seidu, however disagreed. He insisted the status will remain same.

“That was propaganda. We don’t create polling station in the sky, on a tree or at sea. Wherever you site polling station it should be on somebody’s property or a business area,” Seidu said.

“The EC has already gazetted all the 186 polling stations and so if they insist that this very polling station be relocated then all the others must be moved,” he posited.

The development nearly disrupted the process at that registration center until armed police officers were called to restore calm. It is, however, gathered that a meeting between the feuding factions ended inconclusively.