Fulani groups slate use of passport and Ghana Card for voter registration

The Electoral Commission’s plans to use the Ghana Card and passport as the only proof of citizenship during the voter registration exercise have been met with opposition by Fulani groups.

The groups believe it is only fair that birth certificates, the current voter ID and other national documents also be accepted by the EC during the registration exercise.

Their concerns were aired in a joint statement by the Tabital Pulaaku International Ghana Chapter and the Danbaki royal family, who represent the Fulani community in Ghana.

Fulanis fear losing the vote

The group further called on Parliament to reject the constitutional instrument laid before it by the Electoral Commission.

The CI seeks to make it lawful for the Commission to accept only the Ghana Card and passport for voter registration.

However, the Fulanis insist that such a move would not favour their tribesmen and would rather end up disenfranchising most of them.

“Passing or accepting the CI in its current state amounts to disenfranchising the entire Fulani community in Ghana,” the statement reads.

The Fulani community called for amendment of the CI to enable them to register using other national documents.

NDC’s “fight” with EC

The concerns raised by the Fulani groups are supported by the opposition National Democratic Congress.

At a press conference some weeks ago, the party said the decision to exclude the old voters’ ID as an acceptable document for the new voters’ register is very fishy.

The national chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, even claimed that the EC was scheming with the governing New Patriotic Party to rig the elections.

Both parties, Ofosu-Ampofo said, were conniving to disenfranchise the many Ghanaians who do not have passports and are yet to register for the Ghana Card.

E A Alanore

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