Residents demand EC clarifies SALL districts participation in the parliamentary elections

Residents in the Guan District of the Oti Region have appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC) to come clear on the participation of people from Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) in the parliamentary elections come December 7.

Speaking to the media, the Chief of Lolobi-Kumasi, Nana Kekrebesi II said rumours reaching him indicates that the people from SALL will elect a parliamentary candidate in the upcoming polls.

“We entreat the chairperson of Electoral Commission Jean Mensah to clear the air on rumours that people from SALL shall also partake in the parliamentary election.”

According to him, since the enclave has not been allocated a constituency after a bill for creating a Buem District matured, he believed they would only participate in the presidential elections.

“We are aware that two districts cannot belong to one constituency as stipulated in the 1992 Ghanaian constitution.”

He, therefore, wants the EC chair to speak to the matter “in order not to get people confused through our enclave.”

“This rumour should be cleared through the EC’s representative in the Oti Region, please, time left is very short,” he pleaded.

He said the people in the region were dismayed at the rumours since they are oblivious of the candidates, and there is no notice of polls posted to the area until Friday, November 4.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Joint Consultative Committee of the SALL enclave, Nana Kofi Ollator IV, maintained the move was unconstitutional, hence, they would not participate in the parliamentary elections.

“We are saying that if they bring the ballot papers to SALL enclave to force the people to vote, they should declare any winner null and void because we don’t know him or her.”

According to him, there are qualified people among them who could also contest for the parliamentary seat “but they denied us this and are imposing Buem constituency Parliamentary candidate on us, we are not going to agree.”