The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) presidential candidate for 2024, John Dramani Mahama, wants to allow electioneering stakeholders to observe how the National Identification Authority (NIA) is run.
Especially at a time when there are many proposals for the Ghana Card to be the only form of identification for general elections, he thinks this would guarantee checks and balances to prevent fraud and exploitation of the system.
Speaking at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region, Mr. Mahama addressed the minority caucus in parliament during a workshop.
In order to prevent fraud and exploitation that would give any political stakeholder an unfair advantage, he stated, “We demand that the process necessarily include a system that enables all political parties and relevant stakeholders to possess the capacity to monitor.”
Indicating that the NIA is not prepared to take on such a massive responsibility, he restated the NDC’s opposition to the planned use of the Ghana Card in the next general election.
The former president clarified that not all individuals have been registered with the Authority, and a significant portion of the cards that have been issued have not been distributed to applicants nationwide.
There must be space for those who have not yet received the Ghana Card to exercise their democratic right to vote until complete and nearly total coverage is attained through its implementation. Mr. Mahama contended that they cannot be removed from the voter registration for no fault of their own.
