The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) of plots to rig the impending 2020 elections in favour of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to the NDC, the exclusion of the Voters ID card from requirements of registration for a national ID (Ghana card) is part of a well calculated scheme to disenfranchise majority of Ghanaians from acquiring the national ID.
This, the party hinted, is because plans have long been hatched to make the Ghana card a paramount registration requirement in the new voters’ register plan.
The NDC levelled the accusation at a press briefing on Thursday 14th May 2020 addressed by its chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
He noted that exclusion of the voters’ ID from the registration requirements for the Ghana card was completely untenable and contradicts every known best practice in Identity Management.
He averred that passage of The National Identity Register (Amendment Act), 2017 (Act 950), which amended Act 750 and limited the eligibility to register for the national ID is President Akufo-Addo’s trump card in the rigging agenda.
He said, “The NIA’s total reliance on the Birth Certificate and Passport as the main registration requirements for the Ghana card is problematic and will lead to a situation where about 76% of Ghanaians will have no ID documents to establish their eligibility.”
“These persons would have to go through a cumbersome process of obtaining a sworn oath before they can be registered for the Ghana card; a process we have maintained will slow down the registration process and disenfranchise a lot of Ghanaians.”
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo noted that making the Passport and the Ghana card the main breeder documents for voter registration, while excluding the EC’s own existing voters ID card is mind-boggling.
The objective, he said, is to disenfranchise a significant number of persons in NDC strongholds in furtherance of the Commission’s grand scheme to rig 2020 for the NPP.
He pointed out that NIA’s data indicate only 6.5 million registrants have been issued with Ghana Card out of an estimated population of 17.3 million.
“The implication is that almost 11 million (62%) of eligible voters will have to go through the sworn oath option to be able to register for a Voters’ ID,” he stated.
The Chairman said in the Upper West Region for instance, 94.63% must go through this process, 93.8% in the Upper East while a 92.23% must go through same in the Ahafo region.
The NDC noted that President Akufo-Addo is not concerned about the future of Ghana, its peace, stability and the survival of its democracy.
The party indicated that in opposition, Akufo-Addo presented himself as the paragon of excellence where democracy and rule of law are concerned.
“However, since becoming President, all his actions have unfortunately proven that was all talk, not substance.”
“Having failed to deliver on his promises to the people of this country, and seeing defeat staring glaringly at him, he is desperately scheming with the EC and NIA to rig the 2020 general elections and hold on to power at all cost.”
Chairman Ofosu Ampfo, however, stressed the NDC will employ every legitimate means to stop this evil conspiracy to rig the 2020 elections and subvert the country’s democracy.
