The Director of Legal Affairs at the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba, says that the party’s delegates are unhappy with flagbearer hopeful Dr Kwabena Duffuor’s suit seeking an injunction on the primaries on Saturday.
According to him, despite Team Duffuor’s claim that the suit is for the benefit of the delegates, many of them have already made plans ahead of the primaries and believe they will be greatly affected should the injunction be granted.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Amaliba said “Indeed the delegates are livid at the action brought by Dr Duffuor. Our phones have been ringing all day and delegates have started moving to their centres. Those in island communities, who have to travel by river for a day and then go sleep over, have started moving, so, if you look at the combined effects and hardship, surely it is the party that will suffer.”
He added that “the delegates know how to resolve their issues so if they were excluded from any of the planning they would have petitioned the party. So this action is for their (Dr Duffuor and his team’s) benefit alone. This action is mischievous, frivolous and meant to thwart the effort of the NDC.”
This comes after Dr Duffuor, an aspirant of the presidential primaries on Tuesday, filed a suit against the party following what he says are some discrepancies his team has identified in the party’s voters register to be used for the exercise.
In a writ filed at an Accra High Court, Dr Duffuor indicated that the party failed to provide the required photo album register five weeks before the elections in accordance with the party’s rules.
Dr Duffuor added that despite his request for a postponement of the elections until a full photo album register is secured, the party has failed to heed his request.
Thus, he is asking the court to grant an interlocutory injunction to restrain the party and sued persons – General Secretary, Election Director, co-contestants John Mahama and Kojo Bonsu, and the Electoral Commission – from holding the elections scheduled for May 13.
Following the suit, Electoral Commission (EC) said it will not supervise primaries scheduled for Saturday, May 13, until all legal issues associated with it are resolved.
According to the EC, going ahead to organise the primaries will be disrespecting the judiciary since it amounts to contempt of court.
Meanwhile, Mr Amaliba said that the party’s application or abridgement of time has been granted. Thus, the hearing of the injunction case that was initially scheduled for Monday, May 15, has been moved to Friday, May 12.
“We actually wanted Thursday but the registry indicated to us that that is difficult because of some issues relating to scanning of the processes that will have to take place. And the judge who is going to preside must have fore knowledge of the process, so the available time has been fixed for Friday,” he noted.
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