Court throws out injunction to restrain swearing-in of NPP MP-elect for Techiman South
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, had warned that the Minority will boycott the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo on 7 January if the results from Techiman South are not recollated
- "I shall refuse the exparte injunction application. I think the people of Techiman South need a representative at the swearing-in. To injunct the 1st respondent will be unfair. At the end of the trial, if it is established that the election was not done properly, I shall make my orders. I hereby refuse the application."
A high court in Wenchi has dismissed an application for injunction filed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to restrain the swearing-in of the MP-elect for Techiman South, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah.
The court, presided over by Fred Nawura, said it will be unfair to deny the constituency an elected representative during the swearing-in ceremony for the new members of Parliament.
He argued that the case could be resolved if it is established subsequently that the election was not conducted properly, as the NDC has suggested.
“I shall refuse the ex parte injunction application,” Justice Nawura said. “I think the people of Techiman South need a representative at the swearing-in.
“To injunct the first respondent will be unfair. At the end of the trial, if it is established that the election was not done properly, I shall make my orders.
“I hereby refuse the application.”
NPP claims victory
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) responded formally to the opposition NDC by arguing that it won Techiman South in the 7 December parliamentary election.
However, the NDC persisted in claiming the seat, which the Electoral Commission declared in favour of the NPP. The NPP countered that the opposition is only resorting to “lies and propaganda” to throw dust in the eyes of Ghanaians.
“It is important to state upfront that the NPP parliamentary candidate for Techiman South won that election, as so declared by the EC [Electoral Commission],” said Peter Mac Manu, the NPP’s national campaign manager, at a press conference on 23 December.
Evidence from pink sheets
Mac Manu said the pink sheets available to the party show that the NPP won 49,682 votes in the Techiman South parliamentary poll, against the NDC’s 49,205.
The NDC earlier announced that it had won the seat, securing 50,306 votes to 50,013 for the NPP, with 919 rejected ballots.
“We speak to set the record straight as against a multitude of lies peddled by the NDC yesterday,” Mac Manu said.
“It is important to expose the lies, deceit, propaganda and political shenanigans of the NDC since the process towards the 2020 general election began.”
Fred Dzakpata
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