An Accra High Court has restrained the Election Committee of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) from re-opening nominations for the association’s national elections.
The court, on Friday, placed the interlocutory injunction in an ex-parte motion filed by Mr. Lloyd Evans, a frontrunner in the GJA presidential contest, and three other aspirants, challenging the re-opening of nominations for the elections, describing it as “unconstitutional.”
The court, presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah, said the injunction on the 2017 GJA elections would remain in effect until the determination of the suit.
“It is hereby ordered that the defendants, whether by themselves, their agents, assigns and privies, and howsoever described, are restrained from re-opening nominations for the GJA elections for 2017 until the determination of the suit,” the court said.
The other plaintiffs are Kofi Yeboah, a General Secretary aspirant, Francis Kokutse, a Vice-Presidential aspirant and Vance Azu, Organising Secretary aspirant, while the defendants are Ben Assorow, Chairman of GJA‘s Elections Committee and nine others.
This is the second time the association’s election process has been halted.
The GJA election, which was to have been held in March this year, was halted after Mr. Evans and Matthew Mac Kwame, a Vice Presidential aspirant, who were disqualified from contesting petitioned the GJA Election Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) against the decision.
After considering their petition and other petitions, the EDAC cleared them to contest and asked the Election Committee to continue the process.
In announcing the decision of the EDAC, the Election Committee announced a re-opening of nominations, indicating a restart of the entire process.
But the plaintiffs challenged that move, saying it was contrary to the constitution of the GJA.
As part of their claims, the plaintiffs averred that it is “unconstitutional” for the Election Committee to re-open nominations since all candidates have been vetted already.
The court believes there is a need to place an injunction on the process for a decision to be made taken on the matter.
By: ADR Daily Newsdesk/adrdaily.com
