Court adjourns Essikado-Ketan parliamentary election petition to March 23

A Sekondi High Court has adjourned an election petition filed by Grace Ayensu-Danquah, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Essikado-Ketan in the 2020 elections, challenging the results declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).

Joe Ghartey, the incumbent Member of Parliament was declared the winner by the EC.

Ghartey polled 26,701 out of the 52,392 votes cast to retain the Essikado-Ketan parliamentary seat. His closest contender, the National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate, Grace Ayensu-Danquah, secured 24,527 votes while the candidate of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) had 629.

The court presided over by Dr Richmond Osei Hwere adjourned the trial to Tuesday 23 March 2021 for a ruling on an application by the 1st Respondent Ghartey, filed by his counsel Frank Davies.

Davies had prayed the court to strike out the petition on the grounds that the petition ought to have been signed by the petitioner, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah herself and not her counsel, David Kwadzo Ametefe.

The court after hearing the legal arguments adjourned for a ruling on the motion on 23 March.