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Compilation of new voters register: SC to deliver judgement on June 23
The Supreme Court will on June 23, 2020 deliver judgement on whether or not the existing voters’ identification card should be used as form of identification in the upcoming mass voters’ registration exercise later this month.
On March 26, 2020, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) dragged the Attorney-General and the EC to the apex court over the decision by the Commission to compile a fresh electoral roll for the December 7, 2020 polls.
A seven-member panel of the court presided over by the Chief Justice Anin Yeboah adjourned the case after lawyers for the NDC, the EC and the A-G made legal arguments to support their case.
The EC had stated that it would compile a new voters’ register for the presidential and parliamentary elections because the existing register was incurably defective for the purpose.
But the NDC, the biggest opposition political party in Ghana insisted that the exclusion of existing voters’ ID card as a form of identification to obtain a new voters’ ID card was unconstitutional.
At proceedings yesterday, counsel for the NDC, Godwin Tamakloe said the SC had held in the Abu Ramadan case that the existing voters’ register for all practical purposes was a prima facie evidence of one’s identity.
That assertion he said had not been rebutted by defendants and that it does not lie in the mouth of the A-G to state that all elections held in the country are tainted with illegality.
The NDC withdrew its relief on the contention that the EC cannot compile a new voters’ register when its attention was drawn by the court that it was against the rules of court to seek a relief and asked the court to grant another relief in the alternative.
Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, a Deputy Attorney-General argued that the case of the NDC is unmeritorious.
Justin Amenuvor, counsel for the EC had earlier told the court that the legal basis for excluding the existing voters’ identification card was because it was a “fruit of a poisoned tree”.
In its writ which seeks to invoke the original jurisdiction of the SC, the NDC asked the court to declare that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 45(a) of the 1992 Constitution, the EC has the constitutional power to, and can, compile a register of voters only once, and thereafter revise it periodically, as may be determined by law.
The plaintiff urged the court to order the EC to include all existing voter identification cards duly issued by the EC as one of the documents serving as proof of identification for registration for the purposes of public elections.
The writ, filed by counsel for the NDC, Mr Godwin Kudzo Tamakloe further asked the SC for a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of the provisions of the constitution, specifically article 51 read conjointly with article 42 of the constitution, the power of the EC to compile and review the voters’ register must be exercised subject to respect for and the protection of the right to vote.
The party want the court to hold that, upon a true and proper interpretation of the provisions of the constitution, particularly article 42, upon the registration of and issuance of a voter identification card to a person, that person has an accrued right to vote which cannot be divested in an arbitrary and capricious manner.
A declaration that, upon a true and proper interpretation of the provisions of the constitution, particularly Article 42 of the constitution, all existing voter identification cards duly issued by the EC to registered voters is valid for purposes of identifying such persons in the exercise of their right to vote.
It urged the court to declare that upon a true and proper interpretation of the constitution, specifically Article 42, the 2nd Defendant’s purported amendment of Regulation 1 sub-regulation 3 of the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I 91) through the Public Elections (Registration of Voters)(Amendment) Regulations, 2020 to exclude existing voter identification cards as proof of identification to enable a person apply for registration as a voter is unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
Meanwhile, the A-G in its response filed by Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, a Deputy A-G stated that the reliefs endorsed on the plaintiff’s writ of summons are not only procedurally incompetent, but also not cognisable as reliefs that may properly be applied for pursuant “to this court’s original jurisdiction under articles 2(1) and 130(1) of the constitution, and therefore ought to be struck out.
The defendant contended that the instant action neither raises any real issue(s) for constitutional interpretation nor properly invokes the enforcement jurisdiction of the court.
“Further, we find support in the prohibition contained in the rules of this court for a relief pursuant to this court’s original jurisdiction, to be nebulous and argumentative.”
The defendant argued that the first palpable absurdity with the plaintiff’s difficult endeavor to raise a strained constitutional issue “in this matter is the plaintiff’s proposition that the words “….at such periods as may be determined by law” in article 45(a) apply to only the revision of the voters register, and not its compilation”.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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
