Following Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s withdrawal of his lawsuit against the NDC, the Electoral Commission will now oversee the party’s parliamentary and presidential primaries.
The Electoral Commission on Wednesday, postponed its oversight of the election, due to an injunction request made by Dr. Duffour’s team that was earlier set to be considered on Monday, May 15. This put the NDC primaries on May 13, in limbo.
The NDC sought for a reduction in time so that the lawsuit may be heard sooner, in an effort to prevent the primaries from being delayed. However, the application was not heard because Dr. Duffour’s attorney, Opoku Amankwah, stated in court that he had been given instructions by his client to drop the case.
The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed by the court, which was presided over by Justice Mariam Afful.
As a result, the operational staff of the Electoral Commission of Ghana will meet with the NDC leadership to discuss how to share logistics for the election, according to sources. According to NDC Director of Legal Affairs Abraham Amaliba, transportation arrangements have been taken to ensure that logistics do not interfere with the elections.
Abraham Amaliba, the NDC Legal Team’s Director of Legal Affairs, asserted that if the party prevails in court—and the NDC did—the Electoral Commission (EC) should oversee the polls.
“The Electoral Commission cannot refuse to conduct our elections if the court dismisses the injunction by Dr. Duffuor. It’s a public institution, not a private institution, and so they are mandated to discharge their duties.
“We have an agreement with them, and it will amount to a breach of agreement, if they refuse. And so, theirs is to specifically perform. They have taken our money and so at this point, it’s no more optional.”
Abraham Amaliba
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the NDC’s General Secretary, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to doing everything in its power to ensure that all electoral materials are disseminated in time for the polls. “We will make sure every assistance is provided for the materials to reach their destinations in due time,” Mr. Kwetey said.
In preparation for the 2024 elections, the NDC is now anticipated to move on with its primaries on Saturday, May 13, to choose a flagbearer and parliamentary candidates.
Duffuor Drops His Lawsuit Against The NDC Primary.
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a flagbearer candidate, withdrew his lawsuit against the National Democratic Congress, allowing the party’s legislative and presidential primaries to proceed.
One of the three candidates for president, Dr. Duffuor, requested a court order on Tuesday, prohibiting the party from holding the poll. He justified his decision by citing concerns in his writ regarding, among other things, alleged irregularities in the party’s electoral roll.
However, the former Finance Minister abandoned his lawsuit on Friday in order to settle the problems internally. The case was subsequently dismissed by the court.
The action comes after Kojo Bonsu, an NDC flagbearer candidate, urged Dr. Duffuor to take the party’s interests into account and drop his lawsuit challenging the party’s primary elections.
Dr. Duffuor should, in his (Kojo Bonsu’s) opinion, make himself available to the Council of Elders, National Executives, and the Election Directorate so that they may discuss and find a cooperative solution to his issues with the party’s current election procedures.
“I urge Dr. Duffour to exercise patience and look at the interest of the party at large as I know he means no malice or trouble but rather expecting the right things to be done for a smooth election which is devoid of any obstacles for all to have a level playing ground.
“I also urge the National Executive to engage and continue to deliberate with stakeholders in order to resolve the concerns and help the election directorate to run a free, fair, and transparent Presidential /Parliamentary primaries.”
Kojo Bonsu
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