The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is praying the Tamale High Court to grant a request for the Electoral Commission to provide them copies of the collated 2020 parliamentary results for the Savelugu Constituency of the Northern Region.
This comes after the NPP 2020 parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Muhammed Abdul-Samed Gunu, in January, filed a petition to challenge the results.
According to the 2020 Campaign Manager of the NPP, Peter Mac Manu, the NPP believes that the collation exercise which had to be finally moved to Tamale, the Regional capital, was marred with irregularities.
He said because of these issues, the party has no copies of the collation sheets, collation summary forms, hence the request for the EC to produce those documents for inspection.
Mr Mac Manu, who said this an interview with the media after court proceedings on Thursday May 27, in Tamale, said the NDC objected to the motion on notice but their lawyer vehemently and properly argued it out citing various cases like the Techiman South which the NDC asked the EC to produce the same collation forms for inspection and photocopy.
He said that the court, having listened to both sides, gave notice that it will rule on October 8. The case has however been adjourned to the 8th of June for the case management to start.
Mr Mac Manu said in the case of the Zabzugu Constituency, which the NDC filed a petition against NPP candidate, the court was of the opinion that the matter should be postponed to the same date.
Challenging election results
The NPP 2020 parliamentary candidate for Savelugu in the Northern Region, Muhammed Abdul-Samed Gunu, in January filed a petition at the Tamale High Court challenging the validity of the results declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The parliamentary election petition dated January 8, 2021, had the EC as the first respondent and Abdulai Jacob Iddris, who stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and won the election, as the second respondent.
Mr Gunu secured 19,478 votes while the NDC’s candidate secured 19,577 votes, an Independent Candidate secured 10,286 votes and a Candidate on the ticket of the People’s National Convention got 156 votes.
The petition stated, “The purported election of the NDC Candidate as a Member of Parliament for Savelugu is invalid owing to widespread malpractice and irregularities, which affected the outcome of the impugned election.”
It said the Parliamentary and Presidential elections were vitiated by gross and widespread malpractices that substantially and materially affected the results as declared by the EC in favour of Mr Idrris.
It added, “When a proper reckoning is made of only lawful and valid votes cast, he (Gunu) ought to have been declared the duly elected MP for the area.”
Mr Gunu, therefore, prayed the court to declare the second respondent as not the validly elected MP for the area.