Ho: SALL petitioners appeal ruling on Amewu’s election

The Santrofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) election petitioners have appealed against the decision of the Ho court, which dismissed their suit challenging the validity of the election of John Peter Amewu, the Member of Parliament for Hohoe.

The High Court dismissed the petition on Monday, July 29, citing lack of jurisdiction.

About 17,000 voters from the SALL enclave, comprising 13 communities, did not participate in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

Five residents from SALL petitioned the High Court in Ho to nullify the parliamentary election that resulted in Mr Amewu becoming an MP. However, the court ruled on Monday, July 29, 2024, that the declaration sought by the petitioners effectively questions the constitutionality of CI 128, which the EC relied on to conduct the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The petitioners, aggrieved and dissatisfied with the judgement of the High Court, have appealed to the Court of Appeal.

They stated that “the trial judge egregiously erred in dismissing the petition on the ground that the High Court did not have jurisdiction.”

“The trial judge erred in failing to appreciate that on a proper interpretation of C.1 112, the SALL traditional areas did not become part of the Oti region but remain part of the Hohoe Municipality as well as Hohoe Constituency, matters which did not require constitutional interpretation.”

The petitioners also indicated that the trial judge erred in failing to recognise that there were multiple statutory breaches on the part of the Electoral Commission, which rendered the election of Mr Amewu void by virtue of the Representation Peoples Law 1992 (PNDCL284) Section 20(1)(b).

They are therefore seeking reliefs including an order setting aside the judgment of the high court delivered on July 29.

“A declaration that the election of the 2nd respondent as MP for the Hohoe constituency following the December 2020 parliamentary election is null and void,” they added.