Supreme Court disqualifies 'NHIS' voters
The Supreme Court has directed the EC to clean the voters register by deleting the names of persons who were registered unconstitutionally in 2012.
This means all persons who registered to partake in the 2012 elections with National Health Insurance (NHIS) cards will have their names deleted.
The Court, in a unanimous decision, however, gave the chance to those who will be disenfranchised due to the new directive to re-register.
According to Graphic Online's court correspondent, Mabel Aku Baneseh, the court declined to declare the current voters register null, void and unconstitutional.
Former Youth Organizer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Abu Ramadan had petitioned the Supreme Court to nulify the 2012 national voters' register and to compel the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new one.
He consequently sued the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General at the Supreme Court for three reliefs, namely:
- A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 45(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992 (hereinafter, the “Constitution”) the mandate of the Electoral Commission of Ghana to compile the register of voters implies a duty to compile, fair and transparent register.
- A declaration that the 2012 Voters Register which contains the names of persons who have not established qualification to be registered is inconsistent with Article 42 and 45 (a) and therefore unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect.
- An order setting aside the 2012 Voters Register and compelling the Electoral Commission to compile fresh Voters Register before any new public election or referendum is conducted in this country.