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A petition has been filed to get former Minority Chief Whip and MP for Asawase Muntaka Mubarak sanctioned.
The petitioner Fatiu Salihu accuses the lawmaker of acting in bad faith after he filed a defamation suit against 11 branch executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti Region.
“These are party officers and staunch advocates who for years have rallied and campaigned for Hon. Muntaka Mubarak to represent the party in parliament. They have sacrificed and worked diligently for the party and Hon. Muntaka Mubarak.
The Hon. MP therefore should have been magnanimous enough to recall the efforts of these individuals towards his continual stay in parliament. He wasn’t and now wants to take legal action against individuals who have been sacrificing everything they have to see him succeed these past years”, the petitioner said in the document.
He insists the MP’s conduct breaches the party’s constitution.
“Article 49 of the NDC constitution states that ‘Any member who has reasonable grounds to believe that another member or other members of the Party are in breach of the provisions of the constitution may lodge a petition in writing to an appropriate Executive Committee for redress. It further states that ‘where the grievance is against the leadership of the Party at any particular level, the petition may be lodged with the Executive Committee of the next higher level”.
Based on the aforementioned provisions of the NDC constitution, I am of the firm belief that the Hon. Member of Parliament has breached the constitution by suing branch executives he feels aggrieved with”, he added.
It is not clear whether the petition has been handed over to the party’s Regional Executive Committee.
Background
A High Court is expected to hear a case between former Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak and the 11 branch executives of the National Democratic Congress in the Asawase Constituency.
The defendants alleged among others in a media publication that the MP has been abusing his office, engaging in corrupt practices by allocating to himself some 15 stores in the Asawase market.
In his statement of claim, however, the lawmaker said the action by the defendants has tarnished his hard-won reputation and is praying the court to order them to pay GH¢10 million in damages.
Mr Mubarak is also demanding an unqualified apology and retraction from the defendants.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH