The High Court in Accra has ordered the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Legal Support Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rule on a petition filed by a former secretary of the Krowor Constituency, Sebastian Ampah, by September 30.
This was after the court had deemed the applicant’s application before it as “premature” and directed that the internal mechanism of the party be exhausted.
Mr Sebastian Ampah, a former NPP Secretary of the Krowor Constituency, sued the party over what he described as creation of “unknown polling centres.”
Mr Ampah, the plaintiff per the writ filed at the High Court (General Jurisdiction 10) in Accra, is seeking a nullification of the elections in which he sought re-election, but lost by 10 votes.
It is his contention that, the election was skewed to favour his opponent during the constituency executive elections.
The plaintiff’s action is directed at the NPP, Electoral Commission (EC) and Enock Boakye-Yiadom.
But, the NPP, EC and Boakye-Yiadom, who entered a conditional appearance also filed a counter application to urge the court to set aside his action on grounds that, the applicant had not exhausted the internal mechanism to address his grievances.
The court presided over by Justice John Eugene Nyante Nyadu, on August 17, while ruling on a counter application filed by the NPP to set aside the applicant’s writ said, it could only stay its proceedings for the petition to the party to be ruled on.
The court said on the evidence before it, the case of the respondent (applicant) was premature, therefore, it was appropriate in the interest of justice to ‘suo motu’ exercise its discretion to refer the parties to arbitration.
“It is worthy of mention that, this obviously does not oust the jurisdiction of the court,’ the court noted.
“The court is therefore minded not to set aside writ of summons and statement of claim of the respondents,” Justice Nyadu indicated.
The case has been adjourned sine die.
BY TIMES REPORTER
