Voter's ID exclusion from Ghana card reg: Should presidency be challenged? – Anyidoho

NDC Deputy General Secretary, Koku Anyidoho has reaffirmed his party’s stance on the procedure for the registration of the national identification card despite President Akufo-Addo’s criticism of the minority in Parliament.

The President described their move as attempts to thwart the implementation of the national identification (ID) registration law after they had supported the promulgation of the legislation by Parliament.


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He wondered why National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) who had supported the exclusion of voters ID cards, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards, among others, as qualification for national ID registration in Parliament would turn round and, with the support of their party leaders, bastardise the implementation of the same law and even issue threats of civil war.

In an interview with www.ghanaweb.com however, Koku Anyidoho argued that, up until the National identification card the voter’s ID card has been recognized as national ID to the extent that it was used to decide the highest seat of government.
He questioned whether the President’s legitimacy should be under scrutiny since his mandate was given by users of the voter’s ID card.

“What is wrong with the voter’s ID card, the president won his mandate on the voter’s ID card. If today we are being told that the voter’s ID is illegitimate, is the president now telling us that we should also question the legitimacy of his presidency,” he quizzed.

Ghana Card controversy

President Akufo-Addo earlier stated that individuals canvassing strongly that those in possession of voters ID cards should qualify to be issued national ID cards must bear in mind that that view was never canvassed during the parliamentary consideration of the matter.

“I do not think I say anything contentious if I state here that it is well known that many non-Ghanaians are in possession of voters cards that they obtained by offering NHIS cards as proof of identity,” he said.

The President said it was generally accepted that the terms of the NHIS made it attractive to people of neighbouring countries and that many had signed on to benefit from the free health care provided under the scheme.



He explained that it was for that reason that the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that the NHIS card should not be used as a form of identification to register for a voters ID card.

“It should not be in the long-term interest of anybody that we enlist as Ghanaians people whose loyalty to our nation is limited to access to our free healthcare system. I certainly have no interest and no intention to prevent genuine citizens from being issued with identity cards,” he said.



However, he indicated strongly that his oath of office as the President of Ghana was unequivocal and that he owed it to the nation to uphold the law and protect national institutions from being undermined.