Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has highlighted a contradiction in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution that prohibits Ghanaians with dual citizenship from holding certain public offices.
Addressing the issue, Bagbin emphasized the importance of recognizing the rights of Ghanaians in the Diaspora who are always invited to return and support the nation’s development.
Speaking at the inauguration of a Citizens’ Bureau in Parliament on Monday, Alban Bagbin emphasized the efforts already underway to include these citizens in the voter register to allow them to participate in elections from abroad.
He argued that the right to vote also encompasses the right to be voted for. To achieve this goal Parliament is actively pursuing a constitutional amendment to reconsider the offices from which dual citizens are disqualified, aiming to rectify this inconsistency.
He said, “We say we are giving them the right to vote. That right includes not only to vote for somebody but also to be voted for.”
“That is why we are having a constitutional amendment. Those offices the Constitution disqualified them from contesting we need to reflect over them.”
The Speaker stressed that patriotism and Ghanaian identity should not be measured by one’s geographical location, as those living abroad often maintain deep connections and genuine concern for the country’s welfare.
He highlighted the enthusiasm Ghanaians displayed when former President Barack Obama, a person of African heritage, was elected as the President of the United States, emphasizing that this pride should also extend to Ghanaians who have left the country due to various circumstances.
He said, “When President Obama was elected President of the United States, you were happy and proud that your son has been elected President elsewhere, and yet you don’t want your own citizens who by circumstances have left not to be elected as President of Ghana.”
The initiative to amend the 1992 Constitution, he said, reflects the country’s commitment to fostering an inclusive democracy that recognizes the rights and aspirations of all its citizens, regardless of their dual citizenship status.