The 2024 Universities Students Association of Ghana (USAG) elections, scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 8th, 2024, at the KNUST Obuasi campus, have been called off due to misunderstandings.
James Asante, a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), stated that the elections were canceled following the discovery of alleged illegalities by the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to Asante, the NEC identified the printing of illegal ballot papers by the EC, among other issues, leading to the decision to halt the elections.
The NEC has announced that there will be further communication regarding when the elections will be rescheduled.
Some delegates expressed concerns that this disruption will negatively impact students who traveled from afar to participate in the elections.
They also fear that the rescheduling could affect turnout at the next election if a new date is set.
Reports indicate that, some student delegates who had already arrived in Obuasi, Ashanti Region, were shocked to learn that the outgoing executives, who are overseeing the election, failed to print the necessary ballot papers.
The executives reportedly informed the candidates of plans to print the ballots on the day of the election, a situation the police found inconvenient due to the potential for violence, a common issue in student elections in the country.
The regional police commander, in an effort to resolve the issue, agreed to a proposal from some members of the election management team to authenticate the existing ballot papers by embossing them with the EC’s stamp.
However, this proposal was rejected by Emmanuel Osei Karikari, popularly known as Karibrain, who is heading the election management team.
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