Mustapha F. Gbande
A Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Fofo Gbande, has made startling allegations against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing them of colluding with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 elections.
Gbande claims that the NPP has been working in tandem with the NIA to facilitate the registration of foreigners, particularly Nigerians, who are seeking to obtain the Ghana Card in a bid to subsequently acquire voter identification cards.
While making these allegations, Gbande conceded that he lacked concrete evidence to substantiate his claims but remained adamant in his stance.
In an interview on NEAT FM’s morning program, “Ghana Montie,” Gbande alleged that the NPP and the NIA were conspiring to enrol Nigerians for the Ghana Card, which would eventually lead to their registration as voters in the upcoming elections.
However, Chairperson Jean Mensa of the Electoral Commission (EC) has categorically denied any intention to disenfranchise eligible voters during the ongoing limited voter registration process. She assured the public that any issues encountered in the early days of the 21-day exercise were swiftly addressed by the electoral leadership organisation.
Mensa stated on Monday, September 18, 2023, “We want to reassure the citizens that we have their best interests at heart. We do not aim to disenfranchise qualified voters. It is in our best interest to register them all.”
To accommodate eligible voters who may have missed the current exercise, the EC plans to conduct a mop-up registration activity at a later date. Additionally, in 2024, continuous registration will be implemented in all district offices nationwide for an extended period. Special attention will be given to hard-to-reach areas, with a mop-up registration exercise planned for such regions.
Former President John Mahama has advocated for an earlier commencement of the registration process to ensure that all eligible first-time voters and those who have misplaced their ID cards can participate.
It’s worth noting that this registration activity is taking place in all 268 of the EC’s district offices across the nation. However, this approach has faced opposition from around seven political parties, including the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Convention People’s Party (CPP), People’s National Congress (PNC), All Progressives Congress (APC), National Democratic Party (NDP), and the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP). These parties argue that restricting the exercise to districts could disenfranchise potential voters.
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