Supreme Court sets April 30 for ruling on Kumi's injunction challenge

The Supreme Court has scheduled April 30 to deliver its judgment in a case brought by Akwatia MP Ernest Kumi, who is contesting an injunction that blocked his swearing-in on January 6.

Mr. Kumi was barred from assuming office by a temporary injunction issued on that same day. Nonetheless, he went ahead with the swearing-in ceremony, prompting the High Court to initiate contempt proceedings against him.

Now, Mr. Kumi is asking the Supreme Court to nullify the injunction and disqualify the current High Court judge from presiding over the matter further.

His lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo, contends that the High Court acted beyond its powers when it issued the injunction. According to him, the legal challenge stems from an election petition filed by Henry Boakye—the NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Akwatia—on December 31, 2024.

Marfo argues that under electoral laws, such petitions must be lodged within 21 days of the publication of official election results in the gazette. His team maintains that the gazetting occurred on January 6, 2025, which would render Boakye’s petition out of time.

However, Boakye’s legal representative, Bernard Bediako Baidu, disputes this. He asserts that the Electoral Commission officially gazetted the results on December 24, 2024, referencing Gazette No. 234. Baidu claims that the gazette document Mr. Kumi is relying on is incorrect and contains a different number, raising doubts about its authenticity.

Lawyer for the Electoral Commission, Justin Amenuvor, noted that neither party submitted an official gazette copy to the High Court when the injunction was granted. Instead, the court based its jurisdictional ruling on an online article presented by the NDC’s legal team.