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The Inter-Party Resistance against the New Voter Register (IPRAN) says the Electoral Commission (EC) is employing cunning tactics with its plan to compile a new register of voters ahead of this year’s elections.

“The EC surreptitiously employed a crude Machiavellian tactic in this mischievous agenda by circumventing long standing laid down procedures of allowing IPAC to discuss such an important matter such as amending an electoral law”, the group stated.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday May 26, 2020, the group described as disappointing, the EC’s move to amend C.I. 91 Section 1(3), to exclude the current voter ID card as part of the primary identification documents required of an eligible voter to go through with registration ahead of the December polls.

“IPRAN’s attention was drawn to a publication by graphic.com.gh on Monday, 16th March, 2020 relating to the matter of the EC filing an amendment of C.I.91, particularly Section 1(3) to exclude the Voter ID card as part of the primary identification documents required by an eligible voter to go through voter registration ahead of the 2020 General Elections”.

“It is disappointing and disheartening to note that, that was the first time political parties in the Resistance had heard about this blatant attempt at political bigotry by the EC to exclude close to about 10 million eligible voters from registering to vote in this year’s General elections”.

Addressing the media, the Peoples National Convention (PNC)’s National Chairman, Bernard Mornah said restricting the voter registration identification requirements to only Ghana Card, Passport and the vouching process, has the potential of robbing over 10 a million Ghanaians of their inalienable rights to vote”, he said.

“This is as a result of the fact that, even though available evidence from Ghana Statistical Service show that 17,749,005 Ghanaians are eligible to vote in the 2020 General Election, only a paltry number of about 6.5 million of these eligible Ghanaian voters may have successfully enrolled for the Ghana Card and just about 1 million to 1.5 million of eligible voters have the Ghanaian Passport, leaving close to about 10 million Ghanaians to go through a rather tedious and less reliable option of the vouching process”, he stated.

He emphasized that “The existing voters ID card is the most widely available identification document in terms of depth and usage with over 16 million holders. It has also been legally endorsed by the Supreme Court as the best prima facie evidence of voter registration eligibility as exemplified in the Abu Ramadan Case.


He added that the voter’s ID is also the only Ghanaian Identification document with the most rigorous, thorough and transparent acquisition process, that allows for a 3 tier challenge and adjudication of one’s citizenship.

He therefore argued that the thought of the possible reasons behind the decision by the commission raises more question than answers, “The wishy-washy conduct of the EC and the NIA goes to deepen the widely held suspicion that the actions of the EC may constitute a grand criminal conspiracy between the EC, NIA and the NPP to rig the mandate of the people by disenfranchising over 10 million eligible voters from the strongholds of opposition parties”.

Mr Mornah further asked the religious group and civil society organisations to speak against the development to avert a possible implosion, “We continue to demand from the religious society, moral society and civil societies their timely involvement in preventing an impending implosion, by getting involved to cure the wanton abuse of power, complete disregard for due process and neglect of common sense in the discharge of the EC’s mandate towards 2020 General Elections”.