A High Court in Koforidua, Eastern Region, has issued an interim injunction preventing Ernest Yaw Kumi, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate for the Akwatia Constituency in the 2024 parliamentary elections, from presenting himself as the elected Member of Parliament for the area.
The ruling, made on January 2, 2025, followed a legal petition filed by Henry Boakye-Yiadom, the NDC’s parliamentary candidate, against Ernest Kumi, the Electoral Commission (EC), and the Clerk to Parliament. The petition sought to block Kumi’s swearing-in.
Ernest Kumi was declared the winner of the election by the EC three weeks ago, with 19,269 votes, defeating Henry Yiadom Boakye of the NDC, who received 17,206 votes. The EC made the declaration at the National Police Training School in Tesano, Accra, after several unsuccessful attempts to finalize the results in the Eastern Region.
However, the petitioner has raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the election process and has sought legal recourse under the Representation of the People Act, 1992 (PNDC Law 284).
After hearing the case, the court issued an order barring the EC, the Clerk to Parliament, and other respondents from recognizing, swearing in, or gazetting Ernest Kumi as the MP for Akwatia until the legal issue is resolved.
The court clarified that this order is temporary and will remain in effect for 10 days, allowing time for further legal proceedings.
The Akwatia seat has been a point of contention since the December 2024 elections. The petitioner claims the results were flawed, and the legal challenge aims to dispute the election’s validity. Notably, Akwatia was one of four constituencies—along with Suhum, Nsawam, and Fanteakwa North—whose results were relocated to the National Police Training School for final collation.
