EC Has No Data On People Who Registered With NHIS Cards - David Annan

Though the Electoral Commission (EC) has not explicitly stated that it has no means to delete names of persons who used NHIS Cards to register unto the Voters’ register as ordered by the Supreme Court ruling, a private legal practitioner, Lawyer David Annan says it is difficult task for the EC.

According to the renowned lawyer, the Electoral Commission does not have the data on the people who used NHIS Cards to register as the Commission destroys the form 1A after every registration and election exercise.

Commenting on the Supreme Court Order to immediately delete names of NHIS card users from the voters’ register before November 7 polls, lawyer David Annan on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show averred the Order of the Supreme Court is practically not achievable since the EC in court said it cannot fish out the names.

It is not true that EC has the names of all those who used NHIS cards to register; EC lawyer said in court that they don’t have the record and that was why Abu Ramadan and his lawyer Asante Bediatuo wanted to play a tape recording of EC admitting to the media that it has the records…EC does not have any such data and so if they can’t find it, then there is practically no way of achieving the order of the court,” he indicated.

He stressed that it is not likely that EC has copies of those forms; thus if the Commission at the time didn’t scan the forms and put them on a hard drive which is even a difficult task, then EC cannot produce those who used NHIS Cards to register.

He however admonished that if the applicants decide to send the EC back to court for failing to comply with Supreme Court order, the EC will go for variation of the order; reiterating that “the order first of all is not capable of being fulfilled.”

“Despite the order of the court, EC has already said in court that it cannot be done the way the court is saying it should be done…EC will make the attempt to do it; it will comply with the court order by attempting or trying to fulfill that court order.”

“If EC cannot fulfill that order, either the applicants can take EC to court or EC itself can go to court and say that the court order is not achievable and it cannot fulfill the order. So it is either the court cancel that order or change the order,” the counsel argued.