Four communities in the Kassena Nankana East Electoral area of the Upper East region have dragged the Electoral Commission (EC) and six others to the Accra Human Rights court for allegedly not organizing the biometric registration exercise in their areas.
The communities were represented by their elders namely Aberinga Aligbo, elder of the Atosale people, Azungra Abuo, elder of Azaasi people, Azinyegre Anafo, elder of Abempingo people and Ayariga Awunge, elder of Akunkongo people.
Other defendants include the Minister and Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development, Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, District Chief Executive (DCE), Kassena-Nankana Assembly and Emmanuel Andema and Charles Nsorboba Azuntaaba.
The plaintiffs are seeking 23 reliefs including �a declaration that the defendants by their acts, omissions, conduct and facts and circumstance of this case have disenfranchised them and eligible voters of the areas.
They prayed the court for a declaration that the defendants violated and infringed upon their constitution right to vote, participate in the local and national electoral processes, especially their right to engage in district level elections.
In addition, they are seeking an order directed at the Electoral Commission, its officers and agents to organize district level elections for assemblymen for Atosale-Azaasi electoral area and biometric voter registration for eligible voters of the Kassena Nankana East Area Akunkongo Abempingo, an A-A electoral areas.
They are also seeking an order to direct the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to assist and protect the EC and its polling agents to conduct the exercise.
The plaintiffs, in their statement of case, stated that the EC, in collusion with the other defendants, refused to conduct the said biometric voters registration for them and all eligible voters of the electoral areas.
According to them, the EC disenfranchised them and breached their constitutional right to vote and participate in local and national electoral activities or processes.
The plaintiffs noted that since December 2010, the EC has refused and failed to conduct or hold district level elections for or in the Atosale-Azaasi electoral area.
The plaintiffs stated that �by oppression, threats of violence and harm, coercion, violence, media out bursts, damages to property, abuse of public office and powers etc the 2 to 7 defendants have colluded with electoral commission not to conduct the said elections for no justifiable or reasonable cause to date.
The plaintiffs stated that �by these acts and omissions the electoral commission has deprived them and their communities in the area of any development, as there has not been an elected local political head to bring the developments rolling in.�
According to the plaintiffs, Mark Woyongo, the DCE and the two individuals by themselves, their agents, associates, relations, associates, party members, representatives, among others have undertaken and threatened to use all foul means to change the name from Atosale/ Azaasi electoral area to Akurugu-Daboo for malicious purposes including deceit that the electoral area name Atosale/Azaasi is meant to unlawfully claim lands in those areas.
These defendants, they observed, through hate speech and promises had assured the Akurugu family at meetings and used other media platforms to state categorically that they shall do everything within their power to change the name of the electoral area.
In line with this, they prayed the court for a �declaration that all steps taken, intentions processes, documents, directives etc issued or to be issued by any of the defendants for the change or purported change of the name of the area being Atosale-Azaasi electoral area into Akurugu Daboo or any name is null and void ab initio.�
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