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The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), has suggested that the Electoral Commission may not be able to furnish the Supreme Court with the full list of persons who registered onto the voters’ register with the National Health Insurance Scheme cards (NHIS), as proof of citizenship within six days.

The panel of five judges in giving the order said it will help the apex court bring to a closure to the back and forth about the voters’ register, regarding the removal of unqualified persons on the register.


But speaking to Citi News, the National Coordinator of CODEO, Albert Kofi Arhin, said the EC does not have all the documents in its database for it to be able to fully determine all those who registered using NHIS cards, for subsequent deletion. 

“We know for example that the EC has not got this particular information in the data because at the time that the registration was done, it was not scanned into the database so that means they have to do it outside the database by going into the ballot boxes and getting these documents…We have a fear that the way things are going we might not be able to get the timetable working as it should. It is not going to be a smooth affair.”

EC should be truthful

Mr. Albert Arhin, who once worked with the Commission, thus asked officials of the Commission to be truthful to the Supreme Court about their inability to comply with its orders within six days.

“It is like we are groping in the dark. We actually don’t know how many names are there so that if the Commission sends some names there, can we say that we are short of this number or that number so it will depend on the credibility of the Commission itself.”

He added that, “If for instance they think that it is something they don’t have and it will be difficult getting it, then they have to come out openly and tell the Supreme Court the truth so that the way forward can be found. For the Commission, I will say they should tread cautiously and abide by the truth. If it is there, it is there. If it is not there, it is not there,” he said.

We’II respect Supreme Court orders – EC

Despite the fears expressed  by CODEO, the Commission has said it will be able to produce the list of all persons who registered as voters ahead of the 2012 elections, using the National Health Insurance (NHIA) card as a form of identification.

Head of Communication at the Electoral Commission, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, told Citi News the Commission respects the orders of the court.