Pressure group Democracy Hub has filed a lawsuit at the High Court in Accra seeking to halt the planned Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election scheduled for March 3.
The suit cites alleged vote-buying and inducement during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) primary that produced the party’s candidate for the by-election.
The action, filed on behalf of the group by lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor on Monday, February 16, names the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Electoral Commission (EC), and the Attorney-General’s Department as defendants.
The plaintiff is seeking, among other reliefs, an interlocutory injunction to restrain the EC from proceeding with the by-election until the court determines the constitutionality of the NDC’s parliamentary primary process.
In the statement of claim, Democracy Hub argues that the NDC’s Ayawaso East primary was “characterised by widespread vote buying, inducement and monetisation,” which undermined democratic principles guaranteed under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
According to the filing, the party’s own fact-finding committee found that the integrity of the process had been “fundamentally compromised”, raising serious constitutional concerns.
The suit contends that continuing to rely on the outcome of such a primary and presenting a candidate based on that process violates Article 55(5) of the Constitution, which requires political parties to conform to democratic principles in their internal organisation.
The plaintiff is asking the court to suspend the by-election temporarily, arguing that allowing the vote to proceed would create irreversible legal and constitutional consequences.
“The impending conduct of the Ayawaso East Parliamentary by-election on the basis of a process that has been officially found to have been fundamentally compromised will set in motion a chain of constitutional events which cannot be reversed by a subsequent award of damages,” the filing states.
It further argues that once a candidate is elected and sworn into Parliament, the court’s ability to provide effective relief would be undermined, rendering any future ruling largely symbolic.
The plaintiff also questions whether the Electoral Commission can lawfully proceed with a by-election based on a nomination emerging from a process allegedly tainted by inducement.
While the EC does not supervise parliamentary primaries, the suit maintains that its acceptance of a nomination carries constitutional implications and raises “a clear issue of illegality” and constitutional non-compliance.
Democracy Hub insists the case goes beyond personal or political interests, touching on broader constitutional integrity and democratic governance.
“The action concerns the enforcement of constitutional requirements governing democratic participation, the lawful exercise of public power, and the integrity of the electoral process,” the filing notes.
The plaintiff further argues that monetary compensation cannot remedy constitutional violations and that only a court-ordered injunction can preserve the integrity of the electoral process pending full determination of the case.
The application urges the High Court to preserve the status quo and prevent the by-election from proceeding until the constitutional issues raised are resolved.
The High Court is expected to consider whether to grant the injunction and determine the legality of the nomination process before any by-election is conducted.