NPP Fomena Constituency elections face annulment

Some aggrieved members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Fomena have vowed to exhaust every possible means to ensure that the courts annul results of the just ended constituency elections.

The angry Fomena NPP members described the situation as “absurd” and “gross disrespect” to the orders of the judiciary, hence they are praying for contempt of court against the party.

Two aggrieved supporters of the party in Fomena – Benjamin Ofori and Kwame Anokye – had on Thursday, April 28 secured injunction from the Kumasi High Court to restrain the party from holding an election in the Fomena Constituency of the Ashanti Region.

On Wednesday, May 4, however, the NPP despite the injunction went ahead and conducted the polls.

Speaking on Akoma FM’s current affairs and political show GhanAkoma Thursday, May 5, Benjamin Ofori, one of the plaintiffs who secured the injunction, told host of the show Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that the newly elected members are just for the time being because the elections weren’t supervised by the Electoral Commission due to the court’s order.

He explained that “how can one conduct elections without the auspices and supervision of the only mandated body to spearhead and conduct elections – Electoral Commission?”

The plaintiff, who sounded disappointed, explained that he is still in talks with his lawyers to trigger the contempt process to ensure that Wednesday’s Fomena NPP constituency elections are annulled.

Joining the conversation via phone call was the counsel for the plaintiffs, Evans Amankwaa, who expressed his utmost worry on how the party disregarded a court order and went ahead to conduct the elections.

Lawyer Amankwaa added that the Kumasi High court sat on the case same day the elections were held, further explaining that “in court, the lawyer for the respondents gave the court his words that the elections won’t come off until the court order is exhausted, so I was surprised that right after the court had ordered, they blatantly disregarded and conducted the elections”.

Lawyer for the plaintiff further assured that the elections was just cosmetic and he will ensure the court order is respected and absolute.