GRACE AYENSU-DANQUAH vs: JOE GHARTEY AND ELECTORAL COMMISSION [2021]DLHC9997

Date	2021-03-23
Suit No.	SUIT NO: E12/12/21
Citation No.	[2021]DLHC9997

JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE

DAVID AMETEFE ESQ: FOR PETITIONER/APPLICANT

FRANK DAVIES ESQ WITH HIM BRIGHT OKYERE AGYEKUM EVA OKYERE AND

LORAINE GHARTEY FOR 1STRESPONDENT/APPLICANT

EMMANUEL ADDAI ESQ FOR 2NDRESPONDENT.

[2021]DLHC9997
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >IN THE MATTER OF SECTION
16 OF THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT, 1992 {PNDCL 284} AS AMENDED<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;AND<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;IN THE MATTER OF
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION FOR THE ESSIKADO KETAN CONSTITUENCY HELD ON 7THDECEMBER,
2020.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;BETWEEN<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;GRACE AYENSU-DANQUAH<o:p></o:p>(PETITIONER)<o:p></o:p>vs:<o:p></o:p>JOE GHARTEY<o:p></o:p>(1STRESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>ELECTORAL COMMISSION <o:p></o:p>(2NDRESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, SEKONDI]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO: E12/12/21&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 23RDMARCH, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DAVID AMETEFE ESQ: FOR PETITIONER/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p>FRANK DAVIES ESQ WITH
HIM BRIGHT OKYERE AGYEKUM, EVA OKYERE AND LORAINE GHARTEY FOR 1STRESPONDENT/APPLICANT.
<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">EMMANUEL
ADDAI ESQ FOR 2NDRESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>JUSTICE
DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;tab-stops:center 234.0pt left 329.35pt;
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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;In
this application, the 1st Respondent/Applicant (hereinafter referred
to as the “1st Respondent”) is praying this Court for the grant of
an order dismissing the election petition filed by the Petitioner/Respondent
(hereinafter referred to as the “Petitioner”) in the registry of this court on
11th January, 2021.<o:p></o:p>From
the title of the motion paper, the instant application is pursuant to Order 11
Rule 18(1)(d) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (CI 47) and the
inherent jurisdiction of the Court.<o:p></o:p>Background <o:p></o:p>The
background facts leading to this application are that on 7th of
December, 2020, the 2nd Respondent herein, the Electoral Commission,
conducted parliamentary election in the Essikado-Ketan Constituency. The
election was contested by Joe Ghartey, 1st Respondent herein, who
stood on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); Grace Ayensu-Danquah,
Petitioner herein, who stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress
(NDC); and one Frank Cobbina of Ghana Union Movement (GUM). At the end of the
exercise, the 2nd Respondent declared the results in the
Essikado-Ketan Constituency as follows: Joe Ghartey pulled 26,701 votes; Grace
Ayensu-Danquah&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; pulled 24,527
votes; and Frank Cobbina pulled 629 votes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The
2nd Respondent declared Joe Ghartey, 1st Respondent
herein as the winner of the election and was subsequently sworn in as the
Member of Parliament for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency on 7th
January, 2021.<o:p></o:p>Aggrieved
by the conduct of the election, the Petitioner has filed the instant petition
praying the Court for:<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the parliamentary election
held in Essikado-Ketan Constituency </main>