We’re ready for Dec 7 election in Bawku despite unrest – EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has assured its readiness to conduct elections in the Bawku Central constituency and surrounding areas despite ongoing security concerns.

This assurance counters earlier doubts raised by some Ghanaians, who feared that residents might be unable to vote in the December 7, 2024 elections due to the ongoing conflict in the area.

Speaking to Citi News, the Upper East Regional Director of the EC, William Obeng Adarkwa, stated that the Commission is collaborating closely with security agencies to ensure smooth and peaceful elections in the constituency.

“As a commission, we are prepared. As you know, the issue here in Bawku is purely a security matter, so when it comes to the general security for a particular place of community, it is the Ghana Police Service who is in charge. We are liaising with them every day and they are updating us. We are going ahead to train our officials and give them the necessary skills to conduct the elections.

“We appeal to the people themselves to create an atmosphere which is so peaceful so that we can have our officials and material at various designated places to conduct the elections as mandated by the constitution,” he stated.

The ethnic unrest in Bawuku escalated after Seidu Abagre, a rival chief installed by the Nayiri, returned to Bawku on October 26.

Abagre had previously been in exile following a February 2023 arrest warrant related to his contested installation.

However, on October 17, 2024, a High Court in Kumasi quashed the warrant, paving the way for his return. His presence has reignited the longstanding chieftaincy dispute, resulting in deadly clashes that have claimed at least two lives and left several injured.

In response to the unrest, essential services in Bawku have been severely disrupted. Teachers and students have vacated schools due to safety concerns, while the Ghana Water Company Limited and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) have suspended operations in the town, leaving residents with limited access to water and electricity.

Authorities have imposed a 6 am to 6 pm curfew on Bawku, enforced by security personnel, to maintain order as the community braces for potential further violence.