The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has dismissed accusations by the President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe that it disenfranchised the people of Santrokofi, Apkafu, Lolobi and Lipke (SALL) from voting in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

According to the EC in a statement, the allegation by the IMANI Africa President accusing the Commission of such an act is “false and without basis.”

“The Commission never disenfranchised the good people of the newly created Guan Constituency. It is not in our interest to do so,” the EC said in a statement issued on Tuesday, May 14.

The Commission clarified that the inability of the residents of SALL to vote in the 2020 Parliamentary elections, was blameable on the Legislative Instrument (L. I. 2416) which created the Guan District (SALL) which was laid in Parliament by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and matured roughly a month to the 2020 General Elections.

The statement further said that the EC had no prior knowledge of the creation of the Guan District by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development until after its creation. 

“The Commission was not aware that Parliament was on recess at the time it received the letter from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development requesting it to create a new Constituency. 

“As a result, the Commission drafted a Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) to bring into force the Guan Constituency and forwarded the draft C.I. to the Attorney General's Department for its review on the 13th of November, 2020.”

This, the EC indicated that with Parliament on recess, it could not lay the C.I. before Parliament for 21 sitting days to bring the Guan Constituency into effect as required by law.

“How can any well-meaning person accuse the Commission of disenfranchising the good people of SALL when the facts are so clear? 

“It is unfortunate that IMANI continues to peddle falsehood and untruths about the Commission at every point and tum. His narrative that the Commission disenfranchised the people of SALL, now the Guan Constituency, is FALSE,” part of the statement read.