AN ATTEMPT by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to snatch three parliamentary seats in the Ashanti Region from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the courtroom has hit a snag.
A Kumasi High Court has dismissed three different petitions filed by the NDC, contesting the official election results of Ahafo Ano South West, Obuasi East, and Ahafo Ano North Constituencies.
In their petition, the NDC claimed that their respective parliamentary candidates won the seats under contention during the December 7, 2024 parliamentary elections.
They, therefore, prayed the court to declare the NDC’s candidates winners, in order for them to replace the NPP’s Members of Parliament (MPs), who have since been sworn into office.
Significantly, all the three NDC petitions in the aforementioned constituencies were filed after official recounts and the subsequent swearing-in of the NPP lawmakers.
Lawyer for the respondents, Clement Opoku Gyamfi, in his submission, said “the NDC failed to comply with procedural requirements, specifically not applying for the determination of security for costs within 21 days after the election results were gazetted, as required by law.”
He, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss the petitions and allow the elected NPP MPs in the three constituencies to continue to carry out their duties as elected MPs for their various constituencies.
The court, in its ruling yesterday, stated that the NDC’s case was not valid and, therefore, dismissed the petitions. The court awarded costs against the petitioners.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi