[2023]DLHC16861 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><a name="_Hlk152146143"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">HON. PAUL EVANS AIDOO<o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">DR. KWAKU AFRIYIE AND<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF GHANA<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm 168.75pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> </span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">SUIT NO. E12/16/2021 DATE: 13<sup>TH</sup> JANUARY 2023</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">1ST RESPONDENT ABSENT, REPRESENTED BY BRIGHT KWAKU APPIAH<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">2ND RESPONDENT REPRESENTED BY ERNEST KWANING, THE DISTRICT ELECTORAL OFFICER VICTOR KWADJOGA ADAWUDU FOR THE PETITIONER PRESENT<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">PAUL NKUAH-GYAPONG FOR FRANK DAVIES FOR 1ST RESPONDENT WITH<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">HIM PAUL YEBOAH PRESENT<o:p></o:p></span></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="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">EMMANUEL ADDAI FOR 2ND RESPONDENT PRESENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm 92.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">CORAM <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWAME AMOAKO</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">JUDGMENT</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.1pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:8.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The<span style="letter-spacing:1.45pt"> </span>Petitioner,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing:1.4pt"> </span>6<span style="position:relative;top:-3.5pt;mso-text-raise:3.5pt">th<span style="letter-spacing:2.0pt"> </span></span>January<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt"> </span>2021,<span style="letter-spacing:1.45pt"> </span>filed<span style="letter-spacing:1.45pt"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing:1.45pt"> </span>parliamentary<span style="letter-spacing:1.5pt"> </span>election<span style="letter-spacing:1.4pt"> </span>petition<span style="letter-spacing:1.4pt"> </span>against<span style="letter-spacing:1.5pt"> </span>the Respondents claiming the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:6.65pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:62.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height: 115%;mso-list:l7 level2 lfo6;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm 62.0pt"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; letter-spacing:-.05pt">(i)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">A declaration that the Sefwi Wiawso Parliamentary Election conducted and supervised by the Electoral Commission and its officials on the 7<span style="position:relative;top:-3.5pt;mso-text-raise: 3.5pt">th<span style="letter-spacing:2.0pt"> </span></span>day of December 2020 was null and void due to non-compliance with the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C. I. 127) and to that extent is of no legal effect.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:62.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt; line-height:115%;mso-list:l7 level2 lfo6;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm 62.0pt"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; letter-spacing:-.05pt">(ii)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">That the purported declaration of the 1<span style="position:relative;top:-3.5pt;mso-text-raise:3.5pt">st<span style="letter-spacing:2.0pt"> </span></span>Respondent, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, as Member of Parliament-elect is null, void and of no legal effect for non- compliance with the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C. I. 127).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:4.5pt 14.2pt 21.3pt 1.0cm