A petition filed by the 2020 National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate for Techiman South, Christopher Beyere Baasongti, challenging the validity of the election of Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah as the MP for the constituency, has been dismissed by the Wenchi high court after almost two years on trial.
Christopher Beyere Baasongti filed the petition in January 2021 against the Electoral Commission of Ghana, the MP for the area (Adjei-Mensah Korsah) and the Clerk to Parliament, over what he described as false representation of the results from the constituency after the 2020 parliamentary election.
Contention of petitioner
In a suit filed at the Wenchi high court, Beyere prayed the court to quash the Electoral Commission’s decision to declare Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the winner of the 2020 parliamentary election in Techiman South.
He also petitioned the court to compel the Electoral Commission to collate the results in the constituency properly, in the presence of the candidates’ representatives, as well as declare him (Beyere) the winner of the parliamentary poll.
By court
However, the Wenchi high court, presided over by His Lordship Justice Frederick Arnold Nawura, held that the petitioner had failed to convince the court with any facts and figures.
The court ruled that Beyere had not provided the court with any real evidence to substantiate the allegations raised in his petition.
In essence, the court held that Adjei-Mensah Korsah was lawfully elected as the MP for Techiman South. It further awarded costs of GHC100,000 against the petitioner, Christopher Beyere Baasongti.
2020 election results
In the 2020 parliamentary election, Agyei-Mensah Korsah polled 49,682 votes, representing 50.24% of the votes cast, and his only contender, Christopher Beyere Baasongti, won 49,205 votes, representing 49.76% of the valid votes cast.
The difference separating the two candidates – Agyei-Mensah Korsah for the NPP and Beyere Baasongti for the NDC – was 477 votes.
Dauda Zul-Kilful
Asaase Radio 99.5 broadcasts on radio via 99.5 in Accra, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 100.3 in Cape Coast and on our affiliates Bawku FM 101.5 in Bawku, Beats FM 99.9 in Bimbilla, Somua FM 89.9 in Gushegu, Stone City 90.7 in Ho, Mining City 89.5 in Tarkwa and Wale FM 106.9 in Walewale
Tune in or log on to broadcasts online: www.asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
Live streaming: facebook.com/asaaseradio99.5. Also on YouTube: Asaase Radio Official.
Join the conversation. Call: 020 000 9951 or 059 415 7777. Or WhatsApp: 020 000 0995.
#AsaaseRadio
