Founding President of Imani Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has revealed that the member of parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has taken contrary stance when it comes to some decision taken by the party he belongs to, especially as he is vying as a presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party elections.
According to him, Mr Agyapong is a very “sensible man” based on some comments he has made on pertinent issues in the country. Citing the controversial proposition by the Electoral Commission to ditch the guarantor system in its voter’s registration exercise, Mr Cudjoe noted that Mr Agyapong is the latest to reject the Electoral Commission’s attempt to disenfranchise voters.
To this end, Mr Cudjoe expressed the need for “many in the NPP” to “follow Kennedy’s practical thinking”.
“Kennedy Agyapong is trumping his own party but he is doing so with believable issues. Messages of Alan, Bawumia and Afriyie Akoto have my curiosity, but it appears Kennedy Agyapong is gaining my attention.”
Franklin Cudjoe
IMANI commends former EC Chair’s position on proposed CI
Meanwhile, the IMANI President has equally commended former Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, for opposing the Constitutional Instrument (CI) by the EC that is seeking to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for voter registration. Describing Dr Afari-Gyan as yet “another sensible patriot”, he iterated that the emeritus Chair of Ghana’s Electoral Commission rejects the EC’s decision to ditch the guarantor system.
“IMANI supports this action as well as that of Kennedy Agyapong.”
Franklin Cudjoe
Outspoken Member of Parliament for Assin Central and flagbearer aspirant in the governing New Patriotic Party, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, slammed the Electoral Commission (EC) over its decision to use the Ghana Card as the sole document for registration for the 2024 general elections on March 13, 2024.
The new Constitutional Instrument (CI) seeks to see the elimination of the guarantor system for all first-time registrants to the country’s electoral register. However, the Assin Central legislator indicated that the new CI laid in Parliament by the Electoral Commission is “bogus”.
Mr Agyapong maintained that it makes no sense that the Ghana Card would suddenly be raised above the Ghana Passport in determining the identity of citizens.
His comments come as a surprise as members of the NPP side in Parliament had constantly supported the EC in its move for the Ghana card to be used as the only source of identification for the voters register. But as it stands, the NDC Members of Parliament are being whipped to be in the house at all cost to kick against the proposed CI.
On the other hand, Dr Afari-Gyan in a statement revealed that the EC’s position on the guarantor system, to the effect that it was not robust and, therefore, the Ghana Card should be the sole document of registration, was untenable. He explained that as far as the National Identification Authority (NIA) allowed the guarantor regime in the registration for the Ghana Card, nothing prevented the EC from doing same for the voter registration exercise and making that system more robust as it wanted it.
It will be recalled that the Chair of the Electoral Commission Mrs Jean Mensa told Parliament that the use of Ghana Card alone would prevent minors and foreigners from getting onto the electoral register to vote.
Briefing the House on the CI on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Mrs Jean Mensa stated that the use of only Ghana Card will ensure and guarantee the credibility of the register and elections, prevent enrolment of minors, prevent foreigners from voting and eliminate the guarantor system which is prone to abuse.
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