Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to decentralize the upcoming limited voter registration exercise to make it easy for more eligible Ghanaians to register.
Mahama, who is also the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the limited voter registration exercise should be conducted without any bias or interference to guarantee free and fair elections.
He emphasized that it is the responsibility of the EC to uphold the principles of democracy and ensure that the electoral process remains transparent and credible.
“Access to a voter ID card should be easy and not limited by location,” Mahama said in a Facebook Live session on Wednesday, September 6. “Every Ghanaian deserves a chance to exercise his democratic right. I strongly urge the Electoral Commission to facilitate the registration exercise in all its electoral areas to allow for easy access, and reduce the burden on the citizenry in their quest to register.”
Mahama also demanded that the EC disclose when the names and pictures of personnel recruited for the registration exercise will be made public as stipulated by the regulations of the electoral management body.
“I challenge the EC to be more transparent in the processes preceding the limited voter registration exercise, the replacement of Voter ID cards and the transfer of votes,” he said. “As has been made in a formal letter to the EC by the general secretary of the NDC, we want to know when the names and photos of the registration supervisors, registration officers, registration assistant and other officials for the registration exercise will be published at the district level as stipulated by the EC regulations.”
In addition to his call for decentralization and transparency, Mahama also underscored the importance of the upcoming 2024 elections, suggesting that it is an opportunity for Ghanaians to vote for change.
He expressed the need to vote out the incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government, arguing that a change in leadership is necessary to address the economic challenges the country faces.