High Court Judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, has refused to recuse himself from hearing a case involving the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) over the disqualification of the latter’s Presidential Candidate from the December 7 election.
The counsel for the Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday filed a motion at an Accra High Court demanding that Judge recuses himself from the case between the Commission and the NDP.
According to the counsel, Mr. Thaddeus Sori, the same judge heard Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom’s case and ordered the Commission to afford him an opportunity to amend his nominations forms.
He argued that Justice Baffour had already made his mind on whether or not the EC had a nomination period, adding that the judge held that the commission did not set a nomination period and that Dr. Nduom should be made to correct his error.
Lawyer Sori, noted that all the other candidates, including the NDP, were in court arguing that there was no nomination period, and that they should be given an opportunity to amend their nomination forms.
He held that for a judge who has already made his mind on these same issues, there would not be fair trial in the NDP case, adding that ‘the judge cannot have a fair and independent mind hearing the case”.
Lawyer Sori consequently prayed for another judge to take over the case.
The judge had on Tuesday, directed both counsel for the EC and the NDP to file their statements by close of Thursday, to enable the court hear their oral submissions today (Friday).
However, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour ignored the motion to recuse himself and proceeded to hear the matter.
Kasapa FM’s Daakyehene Ofosu Agyeman who was in court today, reported that the Judge adjourned the case to 2pm Friday to allow the EC deal with its case at the Supreme Court.
He indicated that he had received a letter from the EC praying the court to adjourn the case to Monday, but due to the limited time to the election, he could only adjourn the case to Friday afternoon.
Counsel for the NDP, Ace Ankomah expressed his readiness to argue out his case that will cause the court to compel the EC to reinstate the NDP’s Presidential Candidate, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
