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EC to compile new voter register last week in June
The compilation of a new voter register will begin in the last week of June and end in the last week of July, the Electoral Commission (EC) has confirmed, ahead of the announcement of the precise dates.
However, the over 33,000 registration centres would be divided into clusters with strict adherence to COVID-19 hygienic protocols to ensure swift and safe exercise.
Deputy Commissioner of the EC, Dr Bossman Asare disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in an interview after yesterday’s Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting convened by the commission in Accra.
The meeting, held in two batches; one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, amidst heavy security presence, was to update the political parties and other stakeholders on the upcoming registration.
The registration exercise, which has been opposed by some political parties and civil society organisations including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was initially scheduled for April but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Explaining the cluster system, Dr Bossman, said the registration centres across the country would be grouped into clusters of five to enable the commission compile the names in five phases.
“This time, what we are saying is that five registration centres will constitute one cluster. What that means is that we are going to have five phases in the registration because the clusters will be five.
“In the first phase, we are going to begin from all the registration centres that are numbered one on the cluster then to the next phase and cluster,” he said.
According to Dr Bossman , in due course, details and further explanation would be communicated to the public and assured eligible voters to exercise patience when the registration begins as they would all be attended to.
On safety measures, Dr Bossman, said social distancing would be observed with not more than 25 people at a time, nose masks would be mandatory, temperatures would be checked, hand hygiene materials would be provided.
“Whatever must be done, whatever is necessary to be done to ensure that the compilation is done in a safe and sure environment is being done. We are liaising with the health authorities to ensure safety,” he said.
Aside Ghana Card and passports that would be accepted as proof of nationality, the deputy commissioner said, two persons who are able to register with either of the documents, could vouch for an eligible voter who had neither of them.
That notwithstanding, he urged Ghanaians who do not have the two documents to get them.
Present at the meeting were representatives of parties including New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), United Progressive Party (UPP) and Convention People’s Party (CPP).
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) stood by its earlier decision to boycott the meeting.
General Sectary of the NPP and Jacob Osei Yeboah, an independent presidential candidate, in separate interviews with the Ghanaian Times, after the meeting, welcomed the arrangement EC had put in place and pledged their cooperation.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
