Petitioners from the Santrofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) areas have filed an appeal against the Ho High Court’s dismissal of their lawsuit challenging John Peter Amewu’s election as the Member of Parliament for Hohoe.
The High Court dismissed the case on Monday, July 29, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
The SALL enclave, which includes 13 communities and around 17,000 voters, was excluded from participating in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Five residents from SALL had petitioned the High Court in Ho, seeking to invalidate the election that resulted in Mr. Amewu’s victory as MP. However, the court ruled that the petition essentially questioned the constitutionality of CI 128, the regulation under which the Electoral Commission conducted the 2020 elections.
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Unhappy with the High Court’s decision, the petitioners have appealed to the Court of Appeal.
They argue that the trial judge erred by dismissing the petition on the grounds of the High Court’s alleged lack of jurisdiction.
The petitioners believe their case deserves further consideration and are seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision to ensure their concerns are fully addressed.
In their appeal, they assert that the trial judge failed to recognize that, under a proper interpretation of CI 112, the SALL traditional areas did not become part of the Oti region but remained part of the Hohoe Municipality and Constituency, which did not require constitutional interpretation.
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Additionally, the petitioners claim that the trial judge ignored multiple statutory violations by the Electoral Commission, which they argue rendered Mr. Amewu’s election invalid under the Representation of the People’s Law 1992 (PNDCL 284), Section 20(1)(b).
They are seeking relief, including an order to overturn the High Court’s judgment and a declaration that Mr. Amewu’s election as MP for Hohoe in the December 2020 parliamentary election is null and void.
