Africa
| Domestic Politics
Ghana
Court Lifts Ban, Allowing Joana Gyan Cudjoe to Run for Amenfi Central in Upcoming Election
Alison Marsh
Nov 11, 2024
Joana Gyan Cudjoe CEO and Founder of GOLDEN EMPIRE LEGACY LIMITED
The Sekondi High Court has lifted an injunction that barred Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Amenfi Central, from running in the upcoming parliamentary election.
This decision, made on November 11, follows a previous adjournment where the NDC requested the court to dismiss the disqualification and allow Ms. Cudjoe to proceed as their candidate.
Justice George K. Gyan-Kontoh presided over the case. In an earlier session, Edudzie Tamakloe, one of Ms. Cudjoe's lead attorneys, urged the court to promptly address the disqualification case to prevent disenfranchising his client from the December 7 election.
Justice Gyan-Kontoh agreed to review the case and encouraged both parties to consider an out-of-court settlement. However, the parties could not reach an agreement outside of court.
With the injunction lifted, Ms. Cudjoe is now clear to contest the December 7 elections as the NDC candidate for Amenfi Central. Expressing her gratitude after the ruling, Ms. Cudjoe thanked her new legal team and the NDC members and executives, saying, “I am very happy.”
Previously, the Accra High Court dismissed an NDC application seeking to prevent the Electoral Commission (EC) from printing ballots for Amenfi Central.
The NDC argued that the EC should wait until the resolution of their challenge to the commission's decision not to recognize Ms. Cudjoe as the NDC candidate. However, the court ruled that the EC was acting within its mandate, following a Sekondi High Court order that placed an injunction on Ms.
Cudjoe’s candidacy. In response, the NDC filed a new motion with the Sekondi High Court, urging it to overturn the injunction, leading to the recent ruling in Ms. Cudjoe’s favor.