We are not afraid of a new register; it won’t affect our chances in the elections- Asante-Akim North NDC MP Aspirant

Aspiring Member of Parliament for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asante- Akim North Constituency, Alhaji Adams Sulley Yussif has stated his party is not protesting the Electoral Commission’s decision to put together a new register because they are afraid a new register will affect their chances of winning.

Alhaji Adams said contrary to that, the party is concerned with the number of people who will be disenfranchised should the process be allowed to proceed.

“We are not afraid of a new register. We are only talking about fairness. A number of Ghanaians will lose their basic rights to vote because they do not own a Ghana Card or passport”, he reiterated.

He added that the party is concerned about the chaos that will erupt in the country from the EC’s actions should they be allowed to continue with their plan.

Speaking exclusively to electionandbeyond.com in Accra, Alhaji Adam’s said, the EC’s decision to compile a new voters register and decline the old voters ID as a requirement for registration has been highly criticized by civil society groups, traditional leaders and other stakeholders who believe the EC’s decision should be critically looked at.

The aspiring MP said he believes the Supreme Court being the custodians of the land will ensure that concerns raised by the NDC are well addressed.

“I believe in the justice system and I believe the panel are of high repute. Being the custodians of the sovereignty of this country, I believe they will do justice to the case as the people of this country demands.

“I am not speaking for the NDC as this point; I am speaking as a candidate and I am speaking for my people who will endorse me as a candidate to hold the flag for them in the Asante Akyem North Constituency. As a member of the NDC who holds the flags of the NDC in that constituency, I will do anything on my part to ensure the concerns of my people are heard. This issue must be revisited and revisited and the NDC’s issue must be looked at”, Alhaji Adams said.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), in March 2020 dragged the Electoral Commission to the Supreme Court over the compilation of the new voters’ register.

The NDC in its suit prayed the court to declare as unlawful the EC’s decision to bar the use of the old voter ID cards for identification in the compilation of the new register. It said the action is baseless and in breach of the Constitution.

On Thursday, June 4, the Supreme Court ordered the EC to provide the legal basis why it has decided to refuse to accept the existing voters’ identification card as a form of identification in the upcoming mass voters registration exercise.

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah, gave the order during the hearing of a suit by the opposition NDC challenging the upcoming compilation of new voters register by the EC.

The Supreme Court has therefore ordered the EC to provide the legal basis why it has decided to refuse to accept the existing voters’ identification card as a form of identification in the upcoming mass voters registration exercise.

Hearing of the case continues on June 11, 2020.