NPP chases Hoezame

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has filed an application to completely strike out the action by David Hoezame, whose attempt to stop the party’s Special Delegates’ Congress from taking place last Sunday failed.

The matter is before the Accra Fast Track High Court that dismissed Hoezame’s application to place an injunction on the congress.

The party wants a declaration that members who do not exhaust the internal mechanisms put in place by the party for members to seek redress in respect of grievances before coming to court, not to be entertained.

Peter Davies, counsel for Hoezame, who was served to appear before the court presided over by Justice P. Ofori-Atta yesterday, said he needed to consult his client.

He told the court that because they failed to stop the congress which was their main aim, he needed to consult his client for instructions.

The trial judge consequently adjourned the matter to September 11, 2014.

At the last hearing, cost of Ghc2,000 was awarded against Hoezame, who failed to appear in court when the party wanted an expeditious hearing on the injunction application filed by him.

The NPP member wanted to stop his party from going to congress to prune down the flagbearer aspirants from seven to five.

The court had dismissed a similar application initiated by Hoezame, a former chairman of Central Tongu constituency in the Volta Region, to restrain the party from vetting the aspirants.

Justice Ofori-Atta had observed that the plaintiff had not exhausted the internal mechanisms put in place by the party for aggrieved members to seek redress.

According to him, Hoezame should have exhausted all avenues of redress before heading to court.

The cost came after Godfred Yeboah-Dame, counsel for the NPP, said costs should be awarded against the plaintiff to serve as a deterrent to anybody in the party who would rush to court without first of all seeking redress using avenues within the party.

The NPP was represented by Prof. Mike Oquaye, chairman of the Party’s Constitutional and Legal Committee; Mike Oquaye Jnr; Godfred Yeboah-Dame and Andy Appiah-Kubi.