The Suhum Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken responsibility for violent attacks on officials of the Electoral Commission (EC), attacks which have left the EC office shut and a voter registration exercise suspended.
Constituency Organiser Kofi Wayo has since apologised for the attacks carried out by the thugs suspected to have links with the governing party.
The thugs ransacked the EC office and threatened to torture the EC officials if they do not transfer the votes of people outside the constituency. A printer being used by the EC was taken away by the thugs.
One of the EC officials told Adom FM’s Maxwell Kudekor that the thugs threatened to remove his intestines if he fails to transfer the votes.
The attacks and threats have left the officials terrified leading to the shutdown of the Suhum office and the temporary termination of the voter transfer exercise.
Voters who trooped to the EC office to transfer their votes have also been left stranded with no idea when the office will be reopened for the exercise to continue.
There has since been a heavy police presence in the area, Kudekor confirmed but no arrests have yet been made.
Kibi Divisional Police Commander ASP Peter Okyere said they have come to protect lives and properties at the EC office.
The Constituency Organiser of the NDC who took responsibility for the attacks said they are sorry.
“As a constituency executive, the only thing we can say to the Electoral Commission is that we are sorry. Probably there must have been a miscommunication. They [EC] are there for us and we are there for them,” he added.
He said the printer taken away by the thugs has been returned. He admitted the action by the thugs was criminal and promised to talk to them to have patience with the officials.
The EC has however expressed surprise over the spate of attacks that have characterized the voter registration exercise.
Deputy Director of Communication Yusif Ayuba said they are in talks with the police to provide heavy security so the exercise will resume at least on Monday.
There have been pockets of violence in other district offices of the EC where the voter transfer is ongoing.
At the Asunafo South constituency, in the Brong Ahafo Region, a man had his finger cut off in the process of the voter transfer.
The exercise was also suspended for a period.
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