Politics of Thursday, 5 January 2023

Source: peacefmonline.com

'I cannot suffer for obeying the laws' - 'Failed' aspirant drags NDC to court

NDC flag | File photo NDC flag | File photo

It appears the legal battles bedevilling the National Democratic Congress are far from over as another suit challenging the Regional elections in the Eastern region surfaces.

From court documents available the suit which seeks to annul the elections was initiated by the former regional chairman, John Owusu-Amankrah popularly known as JOWAK.

In his suit, JOWAK alleges that the constitution of the National Democratic Congress was grossly contravened in the lead-up to the said regional conference held on 17th December 2022.

Per the party's constitution, it is the regional chairman that convenes the regional conference but he was deliberately sidelined, and the elections were held without his participation or consent, thereby violating his constitutional mandate as Chairman of the party.

Mr Owusu-Amankrah also noted in his suit that prior to the regional conference, there were some challenges with some Constituencies, the venue for the conference and a host of other issues. According to him, all these matters were being adjudicated at various levels of the party.

The plaintiff also notes that with all these issues and the outcome of the Youth Conference on 11th December 2022, where Atiwa East delegates were not allowed to vote, he was served a suit filed by one Albert Bonsu of Atiwa East which seemed to injunct the intended Regional Conference. He notes further that after consultation with some party officers and lawyers, it was agreed that the elections could not hold due to the injunction application and therefore issued a notice calling the Regional Conference off.

Contrary to this decision and the Injunction on the elections, JOWAK avers that the elections came off without recourse to the legal implications. He contends that as the Chairman and an aspirant also, he could not disregard the injunction application served on him in his capacity as Regional Chairman from the court and was very much surprised that the elections were allowed to take place at his blind side on 19th December 2022.

He is therefore asking the court to annul the elections and call for fresh elections to be conducted as it is against public policy for him to be made to suffer only because he chose to obey the laws of the Republic of Ghana.

He however petitioned the party on 22nd November 2022 for a resolution but they have not responded to date and therefore proceeded to court for redress.