Sam George mulls further legal action against EC

Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Constituency Sam Nartey George says he is weighing his options to file an order of contempt against the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) for allegedly going ahead with a workshop despite a high court injunction.

On Saturday, April 25, reports came through that officials of the country’s election-management body were meeting at the City Escape Hotel at Airport for a workshop, which was originally scheduled to be held in Prampram.

The workshop, according to an internal memo by the EC, is to prepare its officials for the controversy-strewn compilation of a new voters’ register this year.

“Due to the State’s directive on social gathering, the meeting will be conducted in three batches of twenty-five participants per batch and each batch will have two meeting days,” the EC said in its memo to participants last week.

But an injunction was sought by Sam George to stop the programme from taking place in his constituency.

After news broke that the planned programme was ongoing at a different location, the MP together with some officials of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC,) stormed the City Escape Hotel, Airport to ascertain the reports.

After confirming for himself, Sam George officially lodged a complaint at the Airport Divisional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service against the move.

He told journalists that the move by the EC is in blatant violation of the Executive Instruments (EIs) issued by the president.

He said not only is the Commission flouting EI 64 and 67, but also it is flouting EI 65, which bars it together with other state agencies like the National Identification Authority (NIA) from gathering in this period.

“President Akufo-Addo is endorsing the illegality and irresponsibility of the Electoral Commission and this is a man who is claiming to be a doyen of the rule of law,” Sam George alleged.

The injunction issued by Justice John Eugene Nyante Nyadu was expected to expire on Monday, April 27.

The Ningo-Prampram lawmaker says he is talking to his lawyers for a possible suit against the EC for contempt.