Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs has said he will defy the party’s directive and register for the Ghana card.
According to him, the ongoing exercise by the National Identification Authority (NIA) is a ploy by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to disenfranchise voters in the 2020 elections.
His comment is in sharp contrast to the NDC directive all members to boycott registration for the Ghana Card.
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A press release signed by General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketiah on Monday, 23 July 2018, explained that the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) at its meeting on Thursday, 12 July 2018, took a decision not to participate in the ongoing National Identification Card (Ghana Card) registration exercise until the party’s demand that the Voter’s ID card is included as one of the requirements for registration, is met.
Minority in Parliament have already boycotted the registration claiming the exercise will disenfranchise and de-nationalize several Ghanaians because only birth certificates and passports will be used as identification for registration.
They, therefore, did not participate. Only legislators from the Majority side made themselves available for the registration exercise when the NIA officials went to Parliament to have legislators registered for the card.
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But on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday, Allotey Jacobs said the decision taken by the NDC could be detrimental to their electoral fortunes.
He explained that, the Ghana card should the EC decide to compile a new voters register, the card will be key so those without it will not be able to vote in the 2020 elections.
The NDC Central Regional Chairman wondered why the party leadership has not seen this smart move by the Akufo-Addo led administration and is rather advising members not to register for the card.
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“I will register for the Ghana card because I want to vote in 2020. I know NDC has asked members not to register but I don’t want to be disenfranchised” he opined.
Allotey Jacobs urged the NDC leadership to allow members to register for the Ghana card in their own interest.