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NPP gov't deliberately issued more Ghana cards in NPP strongholds — Former DCE alleges

The former District Chief Executive (DCE) of Atwima-Nwabiagya, Nana Asare Bediako, has alleged that the government deliberately issued more Ghana cards in the strongholds of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

NIA boss

His reactions come after the Electoral Commission (EC) said despite opposition from the NDC and some political parties, it will go ahead to use the Ghana card for the compilation of the new voters' register.

Asare Bediako speaking on the development said if the proposal of the EC to use only the Ghana Card for voters' registration stands a lot of NDC members will be disenfranchised.

"We know that the Ashanti Region and the Eastern Region are the strongholds of the NPP. If you would recall during the mass Ghana Card registration exercise, the NIA spent more time in these two regions. They were there for several days after the deadline for registration in these regions had passed.

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"We complained bitterly about it but they did not listen, not knowing that they had an agenda. Even in the Eastern Region, the registration in the Akan-dominated areas continued for serval weeks after the deadline,” he said on Kumasi-based Hello FM.

The electoral management body has maintained that the Ghana Card is the most authentic means of identifying Ghanaians, and therefore the Commission's decision to use it in compiling a new database of voters.

The EC's Director of Operations Dr. Serebour Quaicoe explained that over the years, voter registration exercises have been marked by pockets of confusion across the country.

He however noted that once the Ghana Card is used as the primary source document for collating new voters registers, these challenges will cease.

Earlier, the Minority raised concerns that this will be a wasteful expenditure as it will cost about $80 million and will disenfranchise a lot of Ghanaians who have not registered or secured their Ghana cards yet.

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