INFORMATION GATHERED by the DAILY HERITAGE from the corridors of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the Klottey Korle constituency indicates that the leadership of the party has sanctioned a re-run of the Klottey Korle parliamentary primary.
The paper also gathered that the tentative date agreed upon by the party for the re-run of the election that Valentino Nii Noi Nortey won earlier is January 9, 2016.
But, Mr Nortey, who was declared the candidate-elect in the August 2, 2015 election has stated that any decision for a re-run will “amount to coup d’état,” in the NPP.
Lawyer Philip Addison and another, Nii Adjei Tawiah, took the party and the Electoral Commission (EC) to court over the election on August 2, 2015.
At an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Patience Mills-Tetteh, Prof. Mike Oquaye,a leading member of the NPP told the court that though two earlier meetings with the regional and national executives ended inconclusively, a National Council meeting was scheduled to resolve the matter amicably.
The presiding judge after listening to arguments from all the parties adjourned the case to December 22.
Coup
The parliamentary candidate, in an interview with the Daily Heritage, told the paper that he will not agree to any re-run of the parliamentary primary and therefore any attempt to have a re-election would be met with fierce resistance.
Asked if he was aware of the January 9 re-run of the election, he said “I’m not aware. That will amount to coup d’état if the party withdraws the case for a re-run. And, we will use all means at the grassroots to reject it and cause chaos.”
Meanwhile, Counsel for the plaintiffs, Mr. Frank Davies while addressing Lawyer Philip Addison and Nii Adjei Tawiah and some supporters said, “I will be the first to congratulate Nii Noi if he wins the re-run of the election on January 9, 2016.”
Mike Oquaye escapes attack
But for the timely intervention of security personnel present at the Law Court Complex, the former Second Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Oquaye would have been attacked by some of the incensed supporters from the constituency. Prof. Oquaye was in court to inform the court about plans to have the matter settled out of court.
Annulment
On November 25, the court gave its ruling after the party failed to enter an appearance following a suit brought against it over the conduct of the election.
The failed parliamentary aspirant, Mr Addison, sued the party over what he described as massive irregularities that marred the election. He also challenged the credibility of the register that was used for the polls.
Background
Mr. Addison and another, Nii Adjei Tawiah took the party and the EC to court over the election on August 2, 2015 which was won by Valentino Nii Nortey.
According to them, more than half of the delegates were disenfranchised, and that the organization of the election was in violation of the tenets of democratic principles that were supposed to govern the election.
They also claimed that there was no accreditation and that the register used was not certified. The election, they said, violated article 55 of the NPP's constitution. The petitioners asked the court to declare the election as an illegality.
The complainants in the suit also argued that there was no accreditation for the purported election on August, 2, 2015.
“The voters register used for the conduct of the purported election on August, 2, 2015, was not the one certified by the Korle Klottey Parliamentary Elections Committee for the conduct of the elections.
“The rules and regulations required the Parliamentary Elections Committee to receive and keep the constituency register until same is submitted to the Electoral Commission. The duly certified register was inspected by all the aspirants and same was kept by the Parliamentary Elections Committee Secretary.
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