His Lordship Justice George Krofa Addae, the Supervising High Court Judge of the Koforidua High Court, has brought a decisive end to the year-long legal challenge surrounding the Suhum parliamentary seat.
In a landmark ruling, the court dismissed the election petition filed against Frank Asiedu Bekoe, popularly known as “Protozoa,” affirming his mandate as the duly elected Member of Parliament.
The court’s decision went beyond a mere dismissal, as Justice Addae awarded a punitive cost of GHS 200,000 against the petitioners, signaling a stern judicial rebuke of what was characterized as an “unmeritorious waste of the court’s time.”
The ruling effectively stabilizes the political atmosphere in the Suhum Constituency, which had remained in a state of legal flux since the December 2024 polls. By upholding the Electoral Commission’s (EC) declaration, the court has reinforced the high evidentiary threshold required to overturn the democratic will of the electorate.
The petition, brought forward by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Prince Kwadwo Addo, and the former NPP MP turned independent candidate, Oboafour Kwadwo Asante, sought to invalidate the results based on alleged “electoral infractions,” at specific polling stations.
However, the judiciary centered on the quality of evidence presented. Justice Addae held that the petitioners failed to provide convincing proof that any irregularities – even if proven – were sufficient to alter the final outcome of the election.
Under Ghana’s electoral framework, a petitioner must meet a high burden of proof to justify setting aside a declared result. The court found that the claims in the Suhum case did not satisfy these legal requirements, describing the petition in full as “lacking merit.”
This reinforces a growing judicial trend in 2025 to penalize litigants who bring forward cases that are deemed to be based on political speculation rather than forensic fact.
NPP’s Reaction
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership, led by Akropong MP Hon. Sammi Awuku and Lawyer Gary Nimako, welcomed the judgment as a vindication of the democratic process. Hon. Awuku, speaking shortly after the ruling, framed the outcome as a necessary deterrent.
“The court held that the petitioners had no basis for their claims, bringing finality to what has been a tortuous legal journey. The case, the court noted, was frivolous from the onset. Consequently, the mandate of the Suhum MP has been affirmed by the court.
“This ruling should serve as a deterrent to individuals who contemplate wasting the valuable time of the courts with unmeritorious actions. This brings finality to a tortuous journey and sends a clear warning to anyone who toys with the idea of wasting the court’s time with baseless election petitions”
Hon. Sammi Awuku, MP for Akropong
Hon. Awuku reiterated that the numbers declared by the EC remain the standing record: Frank Asiedu Bekoe secured 16,855 votes, followed by Prince Kwadwo Addo with 15,259, and Kwadwo Asante with 14,860.
The narrow margins between the top three contenders likely fueled the petitioners’ hope for a re-run, but the court’s ruling emphasized that the “will of the people,” cannot be easily set aside through litigation.
With the legal battle concluded, the focus now shifts back to governance and development within Suhum.
The NPP Regional Secretary, Anthony Osei Adjei, noted that the affirmation allows the MP, Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, to focus entirely on his mandate without the shadow of a pending court case. Lawyers for the Suhum MP called on all parties to accept the verdict in the interest of constituency peace.
As Suhum enters the 2026 administrative year, the Koforidua High Court’s ruling stands as a definitive point for the constituency’s political narrative, moving it from the courtroom back to the community.
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