The Director of Legal Affairs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gary Nimako, has said the party is carefully reviewing the results of the recent Akwatia by-election, hinting that a possible legal challenge could be considered, though no decision has been taken yet.
Speaking on JoyNews, Mr Nimako explained that while he is not currently preparing to go to court, he has requested full documentation from the Electoral Commission (EC), including pink sheets, to determine whether there were any irregularities or procedural lapses during the polls.
“I must now look [at] whether there were no infractions, irregularities, unsigned pink sheets… I am not saying I’m preparing [to go] to court,” he clarified.
He stressed that the NPP is not rushing into any legal battle but will take a methodical approach.
“I have to now call for the documentation on the Akwatia by-election, assess the whole situation, and then I can make a determination as to whether or not the election is worth challenging,” he said.
The by-election, held after the passing of the late NPP MP Ernest Kumi, was won by Bernard Baidoo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with a margin of more than 2,000 votes.
But Mr Nimako cast doubt on the legitimacy of the outcome, drawing parallels with past election challenges.
“The same character, the same lawyer, the same person who was challenging the case… Ordinarily, I would have thought my late client had won the seat with over 2,000 votes,” he noted.
“When you know that parliamentary elections are ‘first past the post,’ meaning just one vote is enough to win, how then do I now sit here and admit that Bernard Baidoo has won with over 2,000 votes, without scrutiny?” he questioned.
While emphasising that no formal petition has been filed, Mr Nimako insisted that the NPP would not overlook any legitimate concerns raised about the conduct of the by-election.
“I will assess every infraction brought to my attention on its merit,” he stated.
Source: Emmanuel Tetteh
