Coleman withdraws from Zanetor suit; Nii Ashietey now 'lone fighter'
Nii John Coleman, a party to the suit challenging the eligibility of Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Klottey Korle, has withdrawn from the case.
Advertisement
At Friday’s sitting at the Accra High Court, his lawyer, Nii Teiko Tagoe, told the court presided over by Mr Justice Kweku Ackaah Boafo that his client was no longer interested in pursuing the case.
This leaves Nii Armah Ashitey, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, as the only plaintiff in the case.
Nii Coleman and Nii Ashitey, who were the other aspirants in the primaries, filed a suit against Dr Agyemang-Rawlings in January this year, claiming that she is not a registered voter and therefore not qualified to be elected as a parliamentary candidate for the NDC.
Other parties joined to the suit are the NDC and the Electoral Commission (EC)
Responding
Responding to the decision to withdraw from the case, Mr Gary Nimako Marfo, lawyer for Nii Ashitey, who was earlier representing the plaintiffs, pointed out that the move was a violation of court rules because he was not informed.
He also told the court that there were “certain obligations Nii Coleman had to fulfil before he could move on with the withdrawal”.
He, however, did not elaborate on the obligations.
Other Trending Stories
The court, however, disagreed with him and ruled that Nii Coleman was no longer an interested party.
Electoral Commission out
The court also ruled that the EC was no longer a respondent to the case following a letter it submitted to the court which indicated that Dr Agyemang -Rawlings is not a registered voter.
Amendment
The court, therefore, instructed Nii Ashitey to amend his suit in view of the new development.
The case has been adjourned to March 18, 2016.
Background
Incumbent MP Nii Armah Ashietey and Nii John Coleman (who both lost the primary) filed a suit praying the court to prevent Dr Rawlings from holding herself out as parliamentary candidate-elect for the constituency on the ticket of the NDC.
They claim Dr. Zanetor Rawlings’ election was unlawful because she is not a registered voter.
At the last court hearing, the Presiding Judge, Justice Kweku Ackaah Boafo, threw out an application from the lawyers of Dr. Rawlings seeking to dismiss the suit brought against her.
In the ruling of the court, Justice Kweku Ackaah Boafo said the motion was without basis. The lawyers were subsequently ordered to open their defence.
But in court on Friday, Nii John Coleman shocked Nii Armah Ashietey and his supporters when he told the court he was not interested in the case any more and further declared that his move was not based on the fact that he had been threatened by anyone.