Three appeal court judges who sat on the recent case brought before it by three aggrieved former executives of the Manhyi-North constituency have rubbished claims that the Supreme court called for the entire re-run of all polls in the constituency.
The court also rebuffed claims by the National Executive Committee(NEC) that it nullifies election from constituency executive level to polling station level before it goes ahead with the outstanding parliamentary primary.
The court, has rather tasked the feuding parties, that is Gyamfi Ameyaw and two others who were the appellants and Felix Ibrahim, Manhyia-North Constituency Secretary and two others, the respondents to settle their pending legal issues in the other courts which is hearing other related matters pertaining to the Manhyia-North constituency.
JUDGEMENT:
In a judgment cited by your authoritative Ghanaian Observer Newspaper and dated the 12th of April, 2016, Justices E.K Ayebi, Gertrude Torkonoo(Mrs) and Angelina M. Domakyaareh(Mrs) described the claims by the appellants and the NEC as ‘incorrect’.
The three stated the claims that the Supreme Court settled all issues in controversy in the suit they had brought was incorrect.
In their view, these claims by the NEC were incorrect interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling since it did not recommend a total re-run of polls in the constituency.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Justices noted the C.K Tedam Committee of the New Patriotic Party,(NPP) which was formed to settle the issues in the two constituencies in Ashanti rather requested the total annulment of both the Kumawu and Manhyia- North constituency elections.
However, the Appeal Court said no mention was made by the Supreme Court to that effect in its final ruling.
BACKGROUND:
Almost two months ago, the acting General Secretary of the NPP, Mr John Boadu in a letter written to the Ashanti Regional Secretary, Mr Sam Pyne in the name of the National Executive Committee,(NEC) of the party, recommended the annulment of the existing constituency and polling station executive election.
The letter, also proposed a re-run of the entire polls which would then facilitate the holding of the parliamentary primary at the Manhyia-North constituency with a new voter album.
Referring from a supposed Supreme Court judgment, the acting General Secretary asked for a road map to ensuring the elections were re-run by the regional executives paving way for the conduct of a parliamentary primary to select a candidate for the party .
REBUTTAL:
But in a sharp rebuttal, Felix Ibrahim, Manhyia-North constituency secretary at a press conference dismissed the claims by the NEC.
He alleged the claim of a supreme court judgment calling for the re-run of the constituency and polling station polls were ‘fake’ and ‘malicious’.
Meanwhile, intelligence picked up by the paper indicated moves by the NEC and the Regional Executives to hold the parliamentary poll by close of this month.
The party is feverishly planning to have all outstanding issues out of court including the recent assault case involving the Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako and the incumbent Member of Parliament, Hon Collins Owusu Amankwah as well as the constituency secretary, Mr Felix Ibrahim.
