Sey elections: Judicial Board quashes Ndukwe’s petition against EC

The Judicial Board of the Elizabeth Frances Sey Junior Common Room has quashed a petition brought before it by one Wisdom Ndukwe, praying the court to order the Electoral Commission accept his nomination forms to enable him contest in the forthcoming JCR elections.

This gives the Electoral Commission, led by Clement Amponsah, the green light to continue in its preparations for the elections slated for Monday, March 9.

According to the Electoral Commission, Ndukwe submitted his nomination forms after the deadline; an occurrence which is highly linked to a shocking decision by his former partner, Stephan Osei Bonsu.

With less than 2hours to reach the Thursday 11:59 pm deadline for the submission of forms, Stephan Osei Bonsu scandalized his running mate, Wisdom Ndukwe with a resignation letter that he was no longer interested in contesting for the presidential office of the JCR.

Stephan was now interested in the office of Organizing Secretary and submitted the forms in that regard to contest in the election.

Clement Amponsah, speaking to UniversNews in an earlier interview narrated that Wisdom Ndukwe expressed confidence in finding a new partner before the deadline to enable him to contest in the election.

Wisdom Ndukwe, however, submitted the forms at about 12:40 am, according to the EC.

Following the non-inclusion of his name in the list of aspirants who were to be vetted, Wisdom Ndukwe petitioned the JCR Judicial Board to place an injunction on all electoral processes until his case was heard and judgment delivered.

Subsequently, the Judicial Board, in a unanimous decision on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, granted the injunction on three grounds;

i) That there is a serious matter to be decided in the substantive case which is whether or not the Electoral Commission exercised its discretionary powers fairly in declining to accept Mr. Ndukwe’s nomination form given the circumstances and whether or not Mr. Ndukwe’s right to be voted for has been infringed.

ii) That Mr.Ndukwe’s right to be voted for as stated in Article 4 of the ELIZABETH FRANCES SEY HALL and also a human right could be infringed and he may suffer irreplaceable damage which cannot be remedied by the award of damages.

iii) That based on the balance of convenience, the Electoral Commission will not be greatly disadvantaged if an injunction is granted on the electoral process. On the other hand, Mr. Ndukwe will be gravely disadvantaged as he stands the chance of his case becoming moot.

When the substantive case was heard on Wednesday, Wisdom’s case was thrown out, and the Electoral Commission asked to continue its preparation for Monday’s JCR election.

The Judicial Board’s ruling leaves the team of Dennis Kwasi Kumi and Mathias Susu Assey contest unopposed in the presidential race.