Lawyers seek internal resolution ; Of case brought against NPP General Secretary
A move by three aggrieved members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to have the General Secretary of the party, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, committed to prison custody for contempt over internal electoral issues has hit a stonewall.
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Lawyers for both parties in the case yesterday told the Accra High Court that the issue was a “family” one that ought to be settled amicably without creating needless rancour.
Lawyers Yoni Kulendi, who represented the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, and Mr Gary Nimako, who represented Kwame Owusu Ansah, Sarpong Kumankuma and Anthony Gyamfi Ameyaw, both agreed in court that the matter was a family affair that ought to be settled amicably.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Kwabena Asuman-Adu, therefore, adjourned proceedings to Friday, April 17, 2015.
Trio
The three plaintiffs from the Kumawu, Juaben and Manhyia constituencies had, prior to the Super Delegates Congress of the NPP last year, filed a suit at an Accra Fast Track High Court seeking a declaration that an earlier election to elect constituency executives was illegal.
The court had declared that the election of party executives in the constituencies was illegitimate, and that until a re-run was held, delegates from the three constituencies could not participate in any internal election.
For that reason, executives from the constituencies were disallowed by the Electoral Commission from voting at the party’s delegates congress in Tamale in April, last year.
In the current case, the plaintiffs are contending that a March 23, 2015 announcement by Mr Agyepong asking interested persons to pick up nomination forms to contest the nation-wide parliamentary primaries amounted to disregarding the court’s ruling and, therefore, contemptuous of the court’s earlier decision.
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Disturbances in courtyard
There was ranting and counter-protests in the inner yard of the Cocoa Affairs Court from supporters of the two parties in the case, which brought proceedings in adjoining courts to a temporary halt until they were called to order.
While those for the plaintiffs protested what they described as an arbitrary decision on the part of the national executive, those against questioned the commitment of those who wanted national leaders jailed for a matter that could be resolved internally.
Writer’s email: victor.kwawukume@graphic.com.gh