NPP Team
In a dramatic turn of events, the Koforidua High Court has granted an injunction application filed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Ernest Kumi, restraining him from holding himself out as a Member of Parliament-elect for Akwatia Constituency.
This ruling also prevents the Clerk of Parliament from swearing him in as the MP for the constituency.
The Akwatia seat was one of several contested in the recent elections, with the results declared by the Electoral Commission at the National Police Training School in Tesano, Accra.
The NDC parliamentary candidate, Henry Boakye Yiadom, had filed an injunction request against the Electoral Commission, Ernest Kumi, and the Clerk of Parliament, halting Kumi’s swearing-in ceremony.
Fanteakwa
In a separate development, the presiding judge in the Fanteakwa North case has recused himself from sitting on the matter, citing a possible conflict of interest.
The judge revealed that his wife is from Begoro and knows executives from both political parties, leading to the adjournment of the case indefinitely.
Meanwhile, the independent candidate for Suhum and some leaders of the NDC are filing an injunction application against the NPP MP-elect for Suhum.
This latest development adds to the uncertainty surrounding the NPP MPs-elect in the Eastern Region.
NPP counsel Gary Nimako Marfo argued that the injunction was improperly filed and based on an inappropriate petition.
He further contended that election results can only be challenged 21 days after they have been published and gazetted, urging the court to dismiss both the injunction order and the petition entirely.
The NDC, on the other hand, has expressed confidence in the court’s handling of the matter. Mintah Larbi, the Director of Legal Affairs for the NDC in the Eastern Region, stated, “We are positive about the outcome based on our submissions today”.
As the legal battles continue, the fate of the NPP MPs-elect in the Eastern Region hangs in the balance.
BY Daniel Bampoe