The Koforidua High Court in the Eastern Region has issued an interim injunction against the swearing-in of Ernest Yaw Kumi as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Akwatia constituency.
The injunction follows a lawsuit filed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Henry Boakye-Yiadom, challenging the Electoral Commission’s (EC) declaration of Mr. Kumi as the winner of the December parliamentary election. The court’s decision restrains Mr. Kumi, the EC, and the Clerk to Parliament from proceeding with any formal recognition of him as the elected MP for the constituency.
In its ruling, the court stated: “The respondents, their representatives, agents, servants, and all privies are restrained from proceeding to call, admit, register, swear in, recognize, or gazette the 1st respondent (Ernest Kumi) as the elected Member of Parliament for the Akwatia constituency.”
Additionally, Mr. Kumi is prohibited from representing himself as the Member of Parliament for Akwatia until the matter is resolved. The injunction is valid for 10 days, pending further court proceedings.
The lawsuit stems from disputes over the collation of results in the Akwatia constituency, a key battleground between the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Ernest Kumi, representing the NPP, was declared the winner with 19,269 votes, while Henry Boakye-Yiadom of the NDC secured 17,206 votes.
The EC had to announce the results at the National Police Training School in Tesano, Accra, after repeated delays and disruptions in the Eastern Region.
The Akwatia constituency, traditionally considered an NPP stronghold, has become a contested area in recent elections. The court’s decision to grant the injunction is the latest development in the legal and political battle over the seat.
Further hearings are expected to determine the validity of the claims raised by the NDC candidate and whether Mr. Kumi can be officially recognized as the Member of Parliament for the constituency.
