Accra High Court dismisses Bernard Mornah’s suit challenging disqualification to contest December election

 The High Court in Accra, on Monday, dismissed the the suit of Presidential Candidate of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mor­nah, challenging his disqualification by the Electoral Commission (EC) from contesting the December 7 election.

The court said Mr Mornah and his political party waived the right to do the right thing, after its atten­tion were drawn to errors on his forms, and given the opportunity to correct them.

Justice Richard Apietu, presiding, did not award any cost against the plaintiff, Mr Mornah, who initiated the action against the EC.

The judge said the applicant and the PNC ought to be meticulous when presented the opportunity to correct the errors.

Mr Mornah’s counsel, Mr Harold Atuguba, said the errors com­plained about were not specific and that they were not given the opportunity to correct them.

But, the EC’s lawyer, Justin Amenuvor insisted Mr Mornah was given the opportunity to correct the errors.

When contacted, Mr Mornah told The Ghanaian Times he would challenge the decision of the High Court at the Supreme Court.

He said the ruling of the High Court amounted to grave injustice, adding that the EC never gave him and his party the opportunity to correct the errors.

Mr Mornah said the claim by the EC that they detected errors and omissions on his forms were never brought to his notice, neither were the particularity of the said errors brought to their attention.

Mr Mornah who is the former General Secretary and Chairman of the PNC said that his team pointed out to the EC that his rights were totally vitiated because he had met all the essential ingredients to con­test the election as required by law.

He said both the EC and the court were engaged in assaulting democracy and infringing his dem­ocratic rights.

In an application filed at the Accra High Court on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, Mr Mornah sought among other reliefs, an order restraining the EC from embarking on any activity relating to the Presidential election until he is declared as “duly nominated candidate and allowed to contest the elections”.

He asked for a declaration from the court that the EC, as an administrative body, acted arbi­trarily, unfairly and capriciously in disqualifying, and therefore it breached Article 23 of the 1992 Constitution, and also breached his fundamental human rights as protected by the Constitution.

 BY MALIK SULLEMANA