NPP Executives Push For Philip Addison�s Suspension

Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Klottey Korley constituency are massing support to push for the suspension of lawyer Philip Addison who was one of the defeated parliamentary aspirants in the constituency.

Addison and another defeated candidate Nii Adjei Tawaiah have filed a fresh suit at the High Court praying it to order a re-run of election in the constituency. 

But the executives argue Philip Addisson has breached the party’s constitution by heading to court to challenge the outcome of the parliamentary primaries held in August when they could have resorted to party structures to have their concerns addressed. 

Speaking to Citi News, Klottey Korley constituency Vice Chairman of the NPP, Alhaji Alui Kabey said they will soon send their petition to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to argue for for Addison’s suspension.

“ Some people went on demonstration just last week, they were suspended. Didn’t we have 21 people or 22 people suspended because they had gone contrary to the party’s decision? He has gone contrary to the party’s rules and we must sanction him.The National Appeals Committee is final and cannot be challenged by anybody,” he said.

Meanwhile an Accra High Court has asked Philip Addisson to  prove his claim seeking the court to declare the Klottey Korley parliamentary primaries held in August, null and void.

The judge, Patience Mills Tetteh explained that will help the court to properly rule on the matter.

The two plaintiffs  in their suit argue that: 

The voters register used for the conduct of the purported elections on August, 2, 2015, was not the one certified by the Korle Klottey Parliamentary Elections Committee for the conduct of the elections.

The rules and regulations required the Parliamentary Elections Committee to receive and keep the constituency register until same is submitted to the Electoral Commission.

The duly certified register was inspectd by all the aspirants and same was kept by the Parliamentary Elections Committee Secretary. This was never made available to the Electoral Commission because the 2nd day of August , 2015, was not the agreed date for the conduct of the polls.

The persons who organised the elections on 2nd August, 2015, procured a totally different voters register for use on that day. This infraction gave opportunity for persons whose names were not on the duly certified voters register, to cast their ballots on 2nd August, 2015.

The constituency parliamentary Elections Committee before the holding of Parliamentary primaries, had the duty of displaying the register to aspirants as a fee, in order to ensure a level playing field to aspirants in the parliamentary contest and announcing the dates for elections. This was not done. The date of 8th August, 2015 was not fixed for the Klottey Korle primaries was agreed upon by the PEC together with the Regional Executive Committee, the constituency chairperson and all the aspirants.

Nowhere in the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the parliamentary primaries is the General Secretary of 1st defendant empowered to, suo motu. Fix dates for the election of a parliamentary candidate.