The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and four other political parties have on Thursday, September 7 sued the Electoral Commission (EC) over its insistence on conducting the 2023 limited voter registration exercise at its district offices.

The suit which is joined by the Convention People’s Party (CPP), All People’s Congress (APC), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) say the decision will disenfranchise many eligible voters. 

They are thus asking the Supreme Court to prevent the electoral management body from proceeding with the exercise pending the final determination of the substantive matter.

The NDC through its Director of Legal Affairs, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo had warned of this suit. 

He also made same argument that the Commission’s decision will put impediments before many new voters from getting onto the electoral roll. 

Background

The Electoral Commission has announced that it will commence the 2023 voters’ registration exercise from Tuesday, September 12, and end on Monday, October 2.

In the said announcement, the Commission added that the exercise would take place at its district offices across the country.

Jean Mensa, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, made this known on Thursday, August 17, at a press briefing in Accra dubbed, ‘Let the Citizen Know.’

She also disclosed a GH¢10 charge for the replacement of a lost or misplaced voter’s ID card.

“The voter’s registration exercise will afford Ghanaians who have attained the age of 18 years, since the last registration of 2020 and others who are more than 18 years, but for various reasons couldn’t register during the 2020 registration exercise an opportunity to do so.”

“The EC will embark on voters’ registration in all 268 district offices of the Commission. The exercise will be held from September 12 to October 2,” she disclosed.

But this decision has not received the support of many political parties.