Another sign of trouble has rocked the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem in the Western Region,  Mr George Mireku Duker.

The Lawyers of the ruling Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem,  Mr George Mireku Duker, and that of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would have to brace up for the petition filed against them by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), challenging the validity of the parliamentary election. 

The NDC's lawyers accompanied by the Constituency Secretary, Mr George Gadd filed their petition Sekondi High Court on January Tuesday 12, 2021 Joined to the petition as a second respondent is the Electoral Commission.

George Gadd in a press statement after the filing of the petition explained that the party has had to take this legal action after their audit of the results revealed grave electoral irregulates and violation of electoral laws in the conduct and declaration of the parliamentary polls. 

READ ALSO:

Nana Addo has power to appoint acting ministers – Martin Kpebu

Among reliefs sought by the party on grounds of allegations as stated above, the court should declare the results of the parliamentary polls, "void and of no effect whatsoever."

The NDC prays the court evokes the Public Elections Regulations 2020 (C.I 127) and thus compel the 2nd Respondent; the Electoral Commission to re-collate all the results from across the 252 polling stations in the constituency, "in the presence of the accredited agents of the NDC and the NPP Parliamentary Candidates and to reflect the true will of the voters there."

On some suspicions of invalid votes having been counted to inflate the margins for the 1st respondent, the NDC seeks the court orders the Electoral Commission to nullify the votes cast at polling stations that "without verification".

More specifically, the party is praying the court re-runs the parliamentary election at Community Center Boboobo 1A and 1B and four other stations were cases of over-voting have been cited.

George Gadd concluded by entreating the party supporters to remain calm as they seek redress in court on the matter.

"The true will of the people in the constituency shall manifest in due course."

The NDC had since the day of the declaration by the Returning Officer of the EC of the parliamentary polls on 8 December 2020, threatened to challenge the election of the MP, George Mireku Duker.

At the close of polls, amid a heated protest from the NDC's camp, incumbent George Mireku Duker, polled 31,946 votes, whiles the NDC's Justice Abban managed with 31,845 votes, and the GUM candidate pulling 2,171 votes. The independent candidate, Joy Joycelyn Andoh 28,846.

Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu