Former President John Dramani Mahama has spoken on the injunction application filed against the upcoming presidential and parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by an aspirant Dr Kwabena Duffuor.
Addressing delegates of the NDC in Wa West on Wednesday, May 10, Mr Mahama who is also contesting said “We know on Saturday God willing, we have a little obstacle to cross because of an injunction one candidate has placed on the primaries but we are hopeful that some understanding can be reached so that we go ahead with these primaries. And so on Saturday, we will come together and vote for our parliamentary candidates and our presidential candidate.”
Regarding the application, the Director of Legal Affairs of the NDC Abraham Amaliba described it as frivolous, vexatious and an attempt to disturb the organization of the internal elections.
“If the parties are minded and Dr Duffuor is ready, we can have a discussion around the issue that he has raised which are no issues at all and then if that is possible we can reach an amicable settlement but for me, this writ is frivolous, vexatious and an attempt to thwart the efforts of the party in the organization of the primaries, that is how I see it,” Mr Amaliba told Johnnie Hughes on the Sunrise show on 3FM Wednesday, May 10.
He further confirmed that the party has been served with the injunction application. Mr Amaliba said the court fixed 15th May for the hearing, which is two days after the internal elections would have taken place.
However, he said, the party was working to ensure that the hearing takes place before the Saturday, May 13 elections.
“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, a flagbearer aspirant, 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.
