Registration in SHS: NDC sues EC

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sued the Electoral Commission (EC) over its decision to register final year students in secondary schools.

The party’s Deputy General Secretary Peter Boamah Otokunor had earlier told Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that they would use every legal means to stop the EC from conducting the exercise because it was illegal.

Mr. Otokunor said the law states clearly that the EC has the power to create polling stations but when they do so, they must go through the process of gazetting and publishing them to political parties, 21 days before the time.

The party is seeking an injunction stopping the exercise.

Not only are they seeking an in junction, but the NDC also wants the court to declare it as “illegal and wrongful.”

As part of their reliefs, the party is seeking “A declaration that it is illegal and wrongful for the Defendant to conduct registration at any place including campuses of a Senior High School which was not contained in the Gazette and notification in accordance with C.I 91.”

“A declaration that any such registration of voters including students that take place at any ungazetted and unpublished registration centre including Senior High School campuses is null and void and of no legal effect.”

The NDC is also seeking for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Electoral Commission “whether by itself, officers, agents or any other functionary personnel from carrying out registration of voters in any Senior High School or place not duly gazetted or published in accordance with C.I 91 as amended.”

Meanwhile, a Deputy EC Chair Samuel Tettey has disclosed that the EC will rely on nearby registration centre codes to cue the concern of breaching the regulation.

“It is the Commission’s mandate to ensure that every Ghanaian who is eligible to vote is given the chance so we will take all necessary measures for everyone who qualifies to vote,” he said.

Addressing the second edition of ‘Let The People Know’ he said the EC has been able to register 3,442.954 in nine days.

He revealed some 3,956 prospective registrants had been challenged at the various registration centres across the country.

“The EC is using the mobile vans to register students who due to the restrictions imposed on the campuses cannot go to the nearest registration centre to register.

“So when people say, it is against the law and that what we are doing is disenfranchising people, then they are wrong because we are making it possible for more people to register.”