Ghana: "We’ll stop EC from plunging Ghana into chaos...." – Supreme Court

Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood

The Supreme Court of Ghana has warned that the Electoral commission, will not be allowed to plunge the country into chaos. The visibly unhappy panel of justices presided over by Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, indicated their displeasure over what they termed the lackadaisical attitude of the EC in complying with their orders in the Abu Ramadan suit. The EC today [Thursday], failed to turn up in court to announce specific measures they are putting in place to delete names of voters who registered with NHIS cards.

The EC, appears to have misunderstood the ruling of the Supreme Court on the deletion of NHIS card registrants, and had said the names would be deleted using existing procedures.

The former People’s National Convention’s (PNC) National Youth Organiser, Abu Ramadan, and Evans Nimako, who secured the May 5 ruling, are back to the Court seeking a clarification of the ruling, following the EC’s explanation.

The apex court on May 5, asked the Electoral Commission to expunge from the current voters’ register the names of all persons who registered and voted in the 2012 elections, with the NHIS card as a proof of identity.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Abu Ramadan, and one, Evans Nimako, who in 2014 won a lawsuit that barred the use of NHIS cards for registration. The two, among other reliefs, wanted the current register declared inappropriate for the November polls.

But the EC after studying the ruling said it’s understanding does not suggest the use of any new process to delete the names of those who registered with NHIS cards, since there are already laid down procedures for expunging ineligible names. The EC’s explanation however angered Mr. Ramadan who felt the Commission was disrespecting the explicit orders of the court.

His position was further strengthened when one of the judges who gave the May 5 ruling, stated categorically that the ruling was clear and unambiguous and that the EC must remove the names of persons who registered with the NHIS card.

We won’t stop suing EC Abu Ramadan who argued that he and his colleague; Evans Nimako are not harassing the EC with their suits said they will only halt such actions “when they [EC] decide that they are going to give the Ghanaian people a credible register, credible voting process and a more credible and satisfying electoral process.”