Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Ayikoi Otoo, has expressed dissatisfaction with the legal team representing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for excluding the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidates in their application for a mandamus order.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, 28 December, he argued that this omission disregarded the rights of key stakeholders in the ongoing electoral dispute.
“Personally, I have a problem with the NPP lawyers who went to court because we all know there are interested parties in this matter,” Mr Otoo stated.
“Usually, when you have a case like this, you must include the interested parties. So, clearly, why do you leave them out?” His remarks follow the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday, 27 December, which nullified the results of the re-collation of votes in Tema Central, Ablekuma North, Techiman South, and Okaikwei Central constituencies.
The Supreme Court’s decision highlighted a violation of the NDC parliamentary candidates’ right to a fair hearing when their case was brought before the High Court.
The ruling also rejected the re-collation conducted by the Electoral Commission, which had led to the declaration of results in the disputed constituencies.
However, the apex court clarified that the ruling did not affect the results for Ahafo Ano North and Nsawam Adoagyiri constituencies.
While the court has kept the application for a mandamus order active, it directed that the case be heard by a different judge at the High Court on Tuesday, 31 December.
Mr Otoo stressed the importance of inclusivity in legal proceedings, noting that such oversight could further complicate the resolution of electoral disputes and undermine confidence in the judicial process.
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