Court orders EC to go ahead with voters registration exercise

The Supreme Court of Ghana has ordered the Electoral Commission to go ahead with the compilation of a new voters register.

The ruling was decided by a 7-member panel presided by Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah.

According to the Apex Court, the EC is an independent body and will only be directed by the court if it acts contrary to law.

There was, however, a disagreement between the opposition NDC and the AG's office over whether or not the court allowed the use of the existing voters ID card.

Meanwhile, NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia in an interview with the media was confident the court had ruled in the party’s favour.

The counsel of the parties involved are waiting at the court premises for a written order for clarity on the ruling.

Background

The National Democratic Congres sued the Electoral Commission at the Supreme Court over its decision to compile of a new Voters’ register ahead of the 2020 elections.

The opposition party has stated their stand against the decision by the election commission to compile a new Voters register but the EC insist that it will proceed with its decision.

The NDC was seeking an order to stop the EC from compiling a new voters’ register and an alternative order declaring as illegal the decision of the EC not to consider the old voter ID cards as a proof of citizenship for registering to vote.

But the Apex court gave them a directive to make a choice on which of their two reliefs they wanted a decision on.

It is for this reason the NDC dropped the case which questions the power of the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters register.