Savelugu, Zabzugu Parliamentary election petitions dismissed by court
On the Savelugu petition filed by the New Patriotic Party(NPP) 2020 Parliamentary Candidate, Muhamed Abdul-Samed Gunu, the Court presided over by Justice Daniel Obeng, held that there were solely administrative errors that did not go to the root of the election’s validity.
The Tamale High Court has dismissed the Savelugu and Zabzugu parliamentary election petitions.
On the Savelugu petition filed by the New Patriotic Party(NPP) 2020 Parliamentary Candidate, Muhamed Abdul-Samed Gunu, the court presided over by Justice Daniel Obeng, held that there were solely administrative errors that did not go to the root of the election’s validity.
It, therefore, awarded costs of GHS 40,000 and GHS 20,000 in favor of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) candidate, Abdulai Jacob Iddrisu, and the Electoral Commission respectively.
The 2020 Parliamentary election for the Savelugu constituency was won by the NDC’s Abdulai Jacob Iddrisu who polled 19, 577 votes against the NPP’s 19,478 votes.
The NPP’s candidate, Muhamed Abdul-Samed Gunu however filed a petition at the Tamale High Court to challenge the validity of the election claiming among others that the purported election of the NDC candidate is invalid due to the widespread irregularities and malpractices which contributed to his victory.
The petitioner averred that these infractions and malpractices were widespread and thus substantially and materially affected the election which was declared by the Electoral Commission.
Citing specific instances, the NPP candidate noted especially that at the D/A primary polling station at Kadia, there were gross violations of neutrality and transparency adding that several already printed ballot sheets were also inserted by a ballot issuer.
He was therefore confident that if the valid votes cast at the various polling stations were collated per the regulation of the election, he(the petitioner) would emerge victorious in the election.
The court however did not accede to this plea but held that those malpractices and errors were merely administrative and couldn’t have affected the outcome of the election.
The Tamale High Court in a related development also gave its decision on the Zabzugu parliamentary election and dismissed the same.
The petitioner, Umar Alhassan of the NDC had filed this petition to challenge the election of the sitting NPP Member of Parliament, John Bennam Jabaah.
The court in dismissing the case also awarded a cost of Gh 20,000 and Gh 40,000 in favor of the Electoral Commission and the NPP Member of Parliament.
