Does A Person Need To Be Registered In A Constituency To Contest There?

The Electoral Commission (EC) has cleared the air about the eligibility of a candidate in contesting in a Parliamentary election in any constituency of his/her choice in the country.

Basing its education on Article Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution, it said a person does not need to be a registered voter in a particular constituency to enable him/ her to contest an election in that constituency.

The EC said simply hailing from a constituency entitles a person to contest an election in that constituency so long as the person is a Ghanaian; Twenty-one years; above Of sound mind; and a registered voter.

It said, “a person who hails from a constituency per the Constitution need not be a registered voter in the constituency he /she wishes to contest in. Simply hailing from there is enough.”

Additionally, it said, “In the event that a person who wishes to contest in a particular constituency does not hail from that constituency, that person will be eligible to contest if he/she is ordinarily resident in that constituency or has been a resident there for a total period of not less than five years out of the ten years immediately preceding the election for which he/she stands.”

This conversation was raised by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after it alleged that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some officials of the EC are plotting to illegally insert the name of one Charles Opoku into the Assin North voter’s register.

The EC holds that there is no need for such illegality as the Constitution already makes room for such candidates.

“As such there is no reason to engage in transfers as alleged by the NDC Communications Officer.”