The Ho High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the validity of the election of John Peter Amewu, Member of Parliament for Hohoe, on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction.
The petition stemmed from concerns raised by approximately 17,000 voters from the Santrofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) enclave, comprising 13 communities.
These voters did not participate in the 2020 parliamentary elections and have since been left without representation in the 8th parliament, following the carving out of the Oti Region from the Volta Region.
Five residents from SALL had petitioned the High Court in Ho, seeking to nullify the parliamentary election that resulted in John Peter Amewu becoming the MP for Hohoe.
They argued that their exclusion from the election process was unjust.
During the proceedings, John Peter Amewu introduced three new issues to the case, which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region criticized as a tactic to delay the case.
The introduction of these issues occurred late in the hearing process.
In its ruling on Monday, July 29, 2024, the court concluded that the declaration sought by the petitioners effectively questioned the constitutionality of CI 128, the legal instrument the Electoral Commission relied upon to conduct the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The court's decision to dismiss the petition means that John Peter Amewu remains the MP for Hohoe, with the SALL residents' concerns about their representation remaining unresolved for now.
Credit: myjoyonline.com