Attorney General challenges joinder in constituency petition

Mr Akuoko-Adiyia polled 18, 481 votes as against 18.841 by the NDC candidate.

Among other things, the petitioner said the EC officials in the constituency in flagrant disregard for the rules, regulations and guidelines governing the election, either by deliberate conduct or circumstances that can best be explained by them did not properly account for ballots issued to various polling stations, thus occasioning a serious irregularity.

He stated that 835 ballots were not accounted for in 17 polling stations in the constituency because of the widespread irregularities.

Besides, elections were held without biometric verification in three polling stations in contravention of electoral laws as contained in C.I. 75.

The respondents in the suit are the Electoral Commission (EC) and the AG’s office in Kumasi.

But, Mr Kpobi, argued that making the AG’s office a respondent meant dragging the government into a partisan issue.

He explained that the EC, the first respondent, in the petition was an independent entity and should be left to defend its position without bringing in the government.

“I don’t see the basis for bringing in the AG. We are the lawyers of the government and in this matter government has no business,” Mr Kpobi stressed.

“We are, therefore, going to challenge the petitioner’s position in court next week,” he added.

Story by Kwame Asare Boadu