The King of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Abukari Mahama II, is calling on the Electoral Commission of Ghana to include the existing or old voter ID card as one of the documents for its compilation of the new register.
In an interview with 3news.com, the respected traditional leader said the use of the old voter ID card will ensure that all eligible voters get the opportunity to partake in the new process.
He further noted that the existing register will serve as a guide to the EC in its quest to compile a new one.
The EC’s decision to compile new voters register ahead of the December elections has been opposed by some civil society groups, as well as the biggest opposition party in the country, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
But the EC insists it will go ahead with the registration exercise in late June 2020.
It is on the back of this that the overlord of Dagbon is urging the EC to include the existing voter ID cards as a valid document for the new registration process.
He maintained that though there may be some issues with the old register, excluding the old voter ID as a primary document will affect the process.
He stressed that the position of the National House of Chiefs on the new voter register is clear.
“We have stated our stand on this as a House already,” he said.
The Dagbon overlord made the pronouncement when a group lead by Azubila Emmanuel petitioned him on the new register brouhaha.
This is the second petition received by the Yaa-Naa in three days.
The first was from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday, June 8.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission and the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) are expected back in the Supreme Court today, June 11, over a case in which the party is challenging the EC’s decision to exclude the existing voter’s ID as proof in compiling a new register.
This comes after the EC satisfied the Apex Court’s order to file documents to justify the legal basis for not accepting the existing voter’s ID card.Source: Pulse Ghana
