The High Court in Ho has dismissed two applications by the petitioners in the SALL Election Petition.
The applications aimed to retract an initially filed application for judgment on admissions and a substantive application for judgment on admissions made by the Electoral Commission.
Five Ghanaians from Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi have petitioned the Ho High Court. They are seeking a declaration, among other things, to invalidate the election of John Peter Amewu as the Member of Parliament for Hohoe.
As the court was about to deliver its ruling on a motion for judgment based on admissions made by the first respondent, the Electoral Commission, it was interrupted by a late application by John Peter Amewu to enter a late appearance and to stay the court’s ruling.
The court approved the application for late entry but rejected the application to halt the court’s ruling.
Later, the petitioners, through their lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, filed a motion to withdraw their application for judgment based on the admission made by the EC.
This motion was dismissed by the court on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
The court subsequently ruled that the admissions made by the EC are only sufficient grounds for the court to issue orders, not judgments.
The court then dismissed the application for judgment based on admissions and adjourned to March 15, 2024, to provide directions for legal arguments or a full trial to determine the merits of the petitioners’ case and the reliefs being sought.
The court also rejected two separate applications by John Peter Amewu, and Benedict Kofitse for costs of GH¢20,000 for each of the applications that the court dismissed.
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