A petition challenging the election results in the Savelugu Constituency in the Northern Region has been filed at a High Court in Tamale.
The suit filed on January 8, 2021 by the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for Savelugu, Muhammed Abdul-Samed Gunu, had the Electoral Commission (EC) as the first respondent.
Mr Abdulai Jacob Idris, who contested on the ticket of the NDC was also named as second respondent in the petition.
Mr Gunu garnered 19,478 of the total votes cast while the NDC candidate also secured 19,577 votes; an Independent Candidate also secured 10,286 votes.
A candidate with the People’s National Convention (PNC) got 156 votes, according to official figures.
However, the petition widely published online stated, “The purported election of the NDC Candidate as a Member of Parliament for Savelugu is invalid owing to widespread malpractice and irregularities, which affected the outcome of the impugned election.”
It said the parliamentary and presidential elections were marred with gross and widespread malpractices that substantially and materially affected the results as declared by the EC in favour Mr Idrris.
It added, “When a proper reckoning is made of only lawful and valid votes cast, he (Gunu) ought to have been declared the duly elected MP for the area.”
Mr. Gunu, therefore, prayed the court to declare the second respondent as not the validly elected MP for the area.
He said the election was null, void, and of no legal effect, and any “consequential orders as to this court may seem to meet.”
Source: Daily Mail GH with additional files from CNR
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