A Sekondi High Court in the Western Region has dismissed an instant application brought against the 2020 parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress in the Essikadu-Ketan constituency Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah.
The first respondent and Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan Joe Ghartey was praying the court to have the petitioner’s petition dismissed on technical grounds but that was not granted. The court awarded a cost of GHC4,000 cost against Mr Ghartey.
Dissatisfied with the December 8 parliamentary results declared by the electoral commission, Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah had filed a petition at the Sekondi High Court seeking to challenge the legitimacy of the election of Joe Ghartey as MP for the Constituency in the 2020 Parliamentary elections.
Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah’s legal team argued that the elections were fraught with irregularities making Joe Ghartey’s win a dubious one.
The Judge, Dr Richmond Osei Hwere, in its ruling averred that the signing of an election petition could be done by a lawyer as Ghana’s law was silent on such matters while the legal of Joe Ghartey argued that the petition ought to have been signed by a constituent.
Today’s ruling by the Sekondi high court paves way for the substantive case to be heard.
Addressing the media after the ruling, Western Regional Communication officer of the NDC Richard Kirk Mensah asserted that the ruling by the court is a clear indication that the parliamentary candidate for Essikadu—Ketan Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah won the 2020 parliamentary elections
Meanwhile the Deputy Regional Secretary for the ruling New Patriotic Party, Rex Johnfiah said the NPP will abide by the ruling of the court including the payment of a 4000 ghana cedis damages awarded against Joe Ghartey.
Source: StarrFmOnline