Court throws out injunction to restrain swearing-in of NPP MP-elect for Techiman South
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 Justice Fred Nawura said it will be unfair to deny the constituency of an elected representative during the swearing-in ceremony for the new Parliament.
He argues the case could be resolved if it is subsequently established that the election was not conducted properly as being suggested by the NDC.
Justice Nawura said: “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.”
NPP claims victory
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) responded to the opposition NDC, saying it won the Techiman South seat in the 7 December parliamentary elections.
The NDC is claiming the seat, which was declared in favour of the NPP by the Electoral Commission. However, the latter said the former is only resorting to “lies and propaganda” to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.
“It is important to state upfront that the NPP parliamentary candidate for Techiman South won that election and so declared by the EC [Electoral Commission],” Peter Mac Manu, the campaign manager for the NPP, said at a press conference.
Pink sheet evidence
Mac Manu said that, according to the pink sheets available to the party, the NPP polled 49,682 votes in the Techiman South election, against the NDC’s 49,205 votes. The NDC earlier announced that it had won the seat, securing 50,306 votes while the NPP won 50,013, 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 elections began.”