Voter roll: We’ll not accept attempts to disenfranchise any Ghanaian – Minority on EC, NIA data

The Minority in Parliament wants the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA), to clarify certain issues regarding the data of Ghanaians. This follows indications by the EC to use the Ghana Card data for registration of voters. According to the Minority, both data from the NIA and EC must match thoroughly before embarking on the said exercise. The Minority therefore wants the EC and the NIA to appear before the House to clear the air. Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, stated: “Let us see the discrepancy and variance in your numbers because we will not accept any attempt by the Electoral Commission to disenfranchise any Ghanaian because they want to rely on an ID card which is not available to Ghanaians.” The Minority also called for an ad hoc committee to be constituted to superintend the implementation of the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendations on the Auditor-General’s Report. The Minority Leader said: “Parliament must help the public purse in getting this committee constituted.” He noted that it was agreed at a meeting with the Majority Leader, that they should probably “get a retired jurist or a retired member of Parliament with good standing on account.” Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, responding to the Minority’s concerns, said the Public Accounts Committee must present a report on their work to the House for consideration, as there is an existing committee to that effect. The Speaker however disclosed that he had not received information from the EC indicating its intentions to use the NIA’s data for the 2024 elections as being asserted by the Minority.

The Minority in Parliament wants the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA), to clarify certain issues regarding the data of Ghanaians. This follows indications by the EC to use the Ghana Card data for registration of voters. According to the Minority, both data from the NIA and EC must match thoroughly before embarking on the said exercise. The Minority therefore wants the EC and the NIA to appear before the House to clear the air. Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, stated: “Let us see the discrepancy and variance in your numbers because we will not accept any attempt by the Electoral Commission to disenfranchise any Ghanaian because they want to rely on an ID card which is not available to Ghanaians.” The Minority also called for an ad hoc committee to be constituted to superintend the implementation of the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendations on the Auditor-General’s Report. The Minority Leader said: “Parliament must help the public purse in getting this committee constituted.” He noted that it was agreed at a meeting with the Majority Leader, that they should probably “get a retired jurist or a retired member of Parliament with good standing on account.” Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, responding to the Minority’s concerns, said the Public Accounts Committee must present a report on their work to the House for consideration, as there is an existing committee to that effect. The Speaker however disclosed that he had not received information from the EC indicating its intentions to use the NIA’s data for the 2024 elections as being asserted by the Minority.