The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has assured that under no circumstance will any Ghanaian who has attained the age of eighteen and meets all the requirements in registering for a new voters card will be turned away when the compilation of a new voters register takes off in June, 2020.
Some opposition political parties including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have questioned the EC’s resolve to use Ghanaians passports and Ghana Cards as the only primary documents that eligible can use for the upcoming registration for a new voters ID.
Addressing a news conference on Thursday, May 21, 2020, the Director of Elections for the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, said the EC’s insistence on using the Ghana Cards and Ghanaians Passports will disenfranchise over 93% of eligible voters in two regions that are part of the strongholds of the umbrella family.
“Only about 6.5 million people have access to the NIA card”, he noted, wondering how the rest of the voter population can be registered for the new voter ID card when they have no Ghana card. The NIA could not dispute our claim that only 5.17 per cent and 6.36 per cent of the registrable population in the Upper West and Upper East regions, respectively, have been issued Ghana cards, as we speak. So, Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Savannah, North-East, you look at the figures, 86 per cent, 84 per cent, 85 per cent and Upper East and Upper West 5.17 per cent and Upper East 6.36 per cent. So, the rest of the ninety-something per cent, what is going to happen to them? Are they not Ghanaians? Do they not deserve to be treated rightly, fairly and justly as anybody else? Do they have to go through the hustle of trying to find people to guarantee for them with all its delays and frustrations?” he asked.
However, the Acting Public Affairs Director of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Sylvia Annor, appearing on TV 3’s Hot Issues which was aired on Thursday, May 28, 2020, allayed the fears of the opposition political parties.
“Anybody who is a Ghanaians and qualifies to register will be registered. We are not going to disenfranchise anybody”, she assured.
She added “voting is a right but goes with responsibilities. Therefore, as an applicant, once you are qualified – you are eighteen years and above and a Ghanaian citizen, you have the right to register”.
