The Electoral Commission (EC) has denounced a notice of poll circulating on social media as fake, pertaining to the upcoming Kumawu by-election.
The circulating notice of poll displays two independent candidates wearing kente cloth, each with a symbol of a bird.
In response, the EC issued a statement clarifying that a draft notice of poll, featuring photographs of the independent candidates with similar names, attires, and symbols, was submitted for approval from the district office but was neither approved by the Commission nor gazetted.
“The attention of the Electoral Commission has been drawn to a Notice of Poll circulating on social media purporting to be that of the Kumawu By-Election. The Notice of Poll has the photos of two Independent Candidates, wearing kente cloth. The said Candidates have the symbol of a bird,” the EC stated.
The EC further explained that both independent candidates had presented photographs of themselves in kente cloth, along with a picture of a bird as their symbol, to the District Officer in Kumawu.
Based on this, a draft Notice of Poll was prepared and submitted to the Commission for approval.
Regarding the symbol assigned to the second independent candidate, who refused to change it, the EC applied Regulation 14(1) (b) and (c) of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020, C.I. 127, assigning him the symbol of a hoe, as reflected in the Notice of Poll posted throughout Kumawu.
The Kumawu by-election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23, with the ballot paper listing Ernest Yaw Anim, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, as the first candidate, followed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Kwasi Amankwaa, and then the two independent candidates in that order.
The by-election was prompted by the passing of the late MP, Philip Basoah, who died in March and was laid to rest on Saturday, May 20.
