Obuasi East NDC Withdraws Court Case Challenging Re-Declaration Of Election Results

Samuel Aboagye, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Obuasi East, has unexpectedly withdrawn his court case challenging the Electoral Commission’s (EC) re-declaration of the 2024 election results.

The legal challenge stemmed from a dramatic turn of events following the December 7 parliamentary elections, in which Aboagye was initially declared the winner. However, a second collation of results conducted on December 21 overturned his victory, declaring Patrick Boakye Yiadom of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) the winner by a razor-thin margin of 19 votes.

Allegations of Electoral Irregularities

The case filed by Aboagye highlighted alleged irregularities in the EC’s re-collation process. He sought a court order to nullify the results of the second collation and reinstate the earlier declaration, which he claimed confirmed his victory. Aboagye further requested that the EC gazette the December 8 results as the official outcome.

The re-collation, conducted at the EC’s Greater Accra Regional Office, followed claims of discrepancies in the initial results and heightened political tensions in the constituency.

Withdrawal of the Court Case

In a surprising move, Aboagye’s legal team, led by Elikplim Agbemava, filed to withdraw the case during a court session presided over by Justice Forson Baah Agyepong. The withdrawal was made “with liberty to re-apply,” leaving room for the NDC candidate to revisit the issue if necessary.

Gary Nimako, legal counsel for Patrick Boakye Yiadom, did not oppose the withdrawal request. The court subsequently struck out the application, effectively closing the case for now.

Controversy Resolved, for Now

The withdrawal marks the end of the immediate legal dispute over the Obuasi East parliamentary election results. However, it leaves lingering questions about the transparency and reliability of the electoral process.

Political analysts suggest the decision may reflect strategic considerations on Aboagye’s part, particularly as the narrow margin of 19 votes indicates the intensity of competition in the constituency.

For Patrick Boakye Yiadom and the NPP, the resolution provides an opportunity to solidify their mandate in the constituency. For the EC, the controversy underscores the importance of ensuring greater accuracy and public confidence in the collation and declaration of results in future elections.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com