Dr. Kwabena Duffour, a flagbearer candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has applied for an injunction at the High Court to halt the presidential primaries because of concerns regarding the electoral process.
Parts of the application said that “the plaintiff avers that the partial delivery of the photo album to his representatives on May 4, 2023 was in itself out of time considering the scope of the verification exercise required of them prior to the internal elections on May 13, 2023.”
Prior to now, the Dr. Duffuor campaign team had sought that the May 13 presidential primaries be postponed due to what it claims is a faulty voter list.
Kofi Kukubor, the Head of Research and Strategy with Dr. Duffy’s campaign team, signed a petition that was sent to the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) and Elections Committee of the NDC on Monday, May 8.
The petition stated that a thorough review of the voters’ register or photo album for 220 constituencies had revealed several discrepancies that made the register either incomplete or inaccurate.
Duffuor files injunction application to stop NDC presidential primaries
The campaign team said that adopting such a register before the election would compromise its credibility and integrity and would harm Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a candidate for the flagbearer position, irreparably. The team is therefore requesting the following:
1. The May 13th Presidential Primaries will be postponed.
2. A gathering of stakeholders to create a workable plan that would ensure the accuracy of the voter register.
3. Ensure a free and fair election by cleaning the register within a mutually acceptable timeframe.
4. To maintain the NDC’s credibility so that it may speak out when necessary about issues related to the national elections.
Dr. Duffuor has previously stated that in order to guarantee unity beyond the polls, the May 13 presidential primaries must be free, fair, and transparent.
Speaking on Nkawkaw-based Agoo FM on May 5 to conclude his four-day campaign swing through the Eastern area, Dr. Duffuor stated that it was unsettling that the final collected register was not accessible a week before the election.
On this point, he supported his campaign team’s petition to the Electoral Commission.
“Today is May 5; the election will be held on May 13; however, we have not yet received the voter registration list. Therefore, my campaign team is requesting the registry’s release.
We are now waiting for the party after writing to them. Any election is subject to laws and regulations. On the day of the election, my name might be noticeably absent.
What am I going to do there? Do you think I’ll fight or what? No. We need access to the register so we can verify that all qualified delegates are listed. remarked Dr. Duffuor
Why is the register not empty? asked the former finance minister and governor of Ghana’s central bank. What would they have done if this had occurred a week before the national elections? We don’t want to litigate; all we want is access to the register so we can make sure every qualified delegate is listed there before we go to the polls and cast a fair and peaceful vote. I ask for their good deeds in prayer.
Nevertheless, he urged his followers to maintain composure and peace in order to maintain the NDC’s unity in the wake of the vote and help the party defeat the New Patriotic Party in the general election of 2024.
Alongside former Kumasi Mayor Kojo Bonsu and former President John Mahama, Dr. Duffuor is running for president in the presidential primary.