The Accra High Court has concluded hearings in the ongoing legal disputes over four parliamentary constituencies: Tema Central, Okaikwei Central, Techiman South, and Ablekuma North, with a judgment set for January 4 at 12pm.
The cases have seen intense legal arguments from representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Electoral Commission (EC).
In the Tema Central case, NPP lawyer Gary Nimako argued that the collation process was incomplete and chaotic, highlighting the absence of results from two polling stations. He also claimed that the NDC, which declared victory, failed to produce pink sheets to substantiate the results. The EC supported the NPP’s position, requesting the court to direct it to complete the collation process.
However, NDC lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe opposed the NPP’s application, arguing that if the declaration violated election laws (C.I. 147), the proper recourse should be an election petition, not a mandamus application. He pointed to a letter from the NPP candidate acknowledging the declaration and stated that mandamus could not be invoked without evidence of a formal demand to the EC being denied.
The case for Okaikwei Central mirrored these arguments. NPP counsel argued that only 110 of 148 polling stations were used to declare NDC’s Baba Sadiq as the winner, and a demand notice was served on the EC to complete the collation. The EC confirmed that only 78 percent of the stations had been accounted for in the declaration.
Tamakloe again argued that since the NPP had acknowledged the results and sought revocation, the matter should be dealt with through an election petition, not mandamus.
For the remaining constituencies, Nimako requested the court to base its decision on the submitted documents and evidence. The EC did not object but urged a thorough review of all materials, including video evidence. The NDC, however, insisted on addressing issues separately for each constituency, claiming that key points required independent consideration.
The High Court is set to deliver its judgment on the cases on January 4.
Source:TheDotNews