Only a court can grant your reliefs unless your protests are a form of mourning – Lawyer to NDC

Private legal practitioner, Sammy Darko has told the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it is only a court that has the power to hear their grievances and grant them any relief with respects to the results of the 2020 elections.

The leadership of the NDC and its supporters have been hitting the streets in some parts of the country to protest what they describe as a flawed election.

But Sammy Darko who is also a lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) in a Facebook [post said “Again, I say to you, verily, verily, only a court of law can order the reliefs NDC sympathizers, pro neutrals and journalists have been requesting for here on social media. Unless it’s a form of mourning or healing process. Time no dey ooo.”

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has justified the street protests by supporters of the NDC against the results of the elections as announced by the chair of the EC in relation to the December 7 presidential and parliament polls.

He said demonstrations are not illegal therefore, the party cannot be criticised for resorting to that modus operandi to make its concerns known.

The former Deputy Minister of Education said the NDC will go to the Supreme Court to challenge the outcome of the elections if it has to do so.

His comments come on the heels of the main opposition party receiving flak from a cross-section of the Ghanaian public for calling on its members to hit the streets to reject the poll results rather than resorting to the courts to address those grievances.

The Presidential Candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama said the party will not accept the results of the polls because in their view, the elections management body manipulated the figures in favour of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Monday, December 14, Mr Ablakwa said “These are not unconstitutional. I hear a lot of commentaries on why NDC will not go to court.

“We will go to court when we have to but it is also peoples legitimate right to protest, to picket, to engage in civil disobedience.”

He said, “As our flagbearer announced, there is a forensic audit team that is looking at all the pink sheets putting our case together for a possible change challenge at the Supreme Court if we have to go there.”