The Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Abraham Amaliba has confirmed that the party has been served with the injunction application filed against the upcoming presidential primaries by an aspirant Dr Kwabena Duffuor.
He said the court has fixed 15th May for the hearing, which is two days after the internal elections would have taken place.
However, he said, the party is working to ensure that the hearing takes place before the Saturday, May 13 elections.
He told Johnnie Hughes on the Sunrise show on 3FM Wednesday, May 10, “Yes I can confirm to you that as of 5: 30 yesterday we were served with the writ including the application for an injunction.
“The application for an injunction has been fixed for hearing on the 15th of May, which means that it is beyond the 13th which is the day for our primaries. However, as lawyers, we are trying to use the legal processes available to us to ensure that this application is heard before the 15th.”
Dr Duffour filed the injunction application at the High Court on Tuesday, May 9 seeking to stop the primaries over concerns about the electoral album.
“The plaintiff avers that the partial delivery of the Photo Album to his representatives on 4th May 2023 was in itself out of time considering the magnitude of the verification exercise required of them before the internal elections of 13th May 2023,” portions of the application said.
The campaign team Dr Duffuor earlier demanded postponement of the May 13 Presidential Primaries over what it describes as flawed register.
A petition sent to the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) and Elections Committee of NDC on Monday, May 8, under the signature Kofi Kukubor, the Head of Research and Strategy with the campaign team of Dr.Duffuor, stated that extensive review of the voters’ register or photo album for 220 constituencies have identified several discrepancies that render the register incomplete or inaccurate.
The campaign team said going into the election with such register undermines the credibility and integrity of the election and capable of causing irreparable damage to the flagbearer hopeful Dr.Kwabena Duffuor. Therefore, the team is demanding the following:
1. Postponement of the May 13th Presidential Primaries
2. Stakeholders meeting to establish an agreeable roadmap that will guarantee the integrity of the voters register.
3. Clean the register within an agreeable timeframe to ensure free and fair election
4. To save the image of the NDC so that the party can have a credible voice so that the party can speak on national election matters when the need arises.
Dr. Duffuor has earlier said that the May 13 Presidential Primaries must be free, fair and transparent to ensure unity after the elections.
Speaking on Nkawkaw-based Agoo FM Friday, May 5 to wrap up his four-day campaign tour of the Eastern region, Dr. Duffuor said inaccessibility to the final compiled register a week to the polls was disturbing.
He backed his campaign team’s petition to the Electoral Commission on this score.
“Today is 5th May, we are are going to the polls on 13th May but we have not received the register which is going to be used for the election. So my campaign team is demanding for the release of the register. We have written to the party so we are waiting for them. There are rules and regulations about any election. My name could be conspicuously missing during the day of the election. What will I do in that situation? Am I going to fight or what? No. Reason we want to get access to the register to ensure that all qualified delegates are on the register,” Dr Duffuor said.
The former Finance Minister and Governor of the Central Bank of Ghana added: “Why is the register not out ? If this happened in National elections and it is just a week ahead what would they have done? We are not litigating we just want to have access to the register to ensure every qualified delegate’s name is on the register so we go to the polls to vote fairly and peacefully. I am praying that they do the right things”.
Nonetheless, he called on his supporters to remain calm and be peaceful to ensure unity in the NDC after the election to enable the party defeat the ruling New Patriotic Party in the 2024 general election.
Dr.Duffuor is contesting the Presidential Primaries with former President John Mahama and former Mayor of Kumasi Kojo Bonsu.
