Court Dismisses EC's Motion Asking Judge To Recuse Himself From NDP Case

The Accra High Court has dismissed a motion by the Electoral Commission (EC) asking that the judge handling the case between the National Democratic Party (NDP) and EC to recuse himself.

The EC wanted Mr Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, the same judge who handled the Progessive People’s Party’s (PPP) case to recuse himself.

But the High Court judge ruled that the fact that he presided over the PPP case does not mean that he won’t consider the NDP case on its merit, reports Graphic Online's Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson.

He subsequently fixed Monday, November 7 for the two parties to make their legal arguments.

The EC had filed a motion praying Mr Justice Eric Kyei-Baffour, recuse himself from hearing and determining the case involving the commission and the NDP.

The premise upon which the EC filed the motion was that Justice Baffour had on October 28, 2016, in the case between the presidential aspirant of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, and the EC, made copious pronouncements on whether or not there was a nomination period for the EC to disqualify candidates.

According to the EC, in respect of the matters which Justice Baffour was being called upon to determine in the NDP versus EC suit, a critical issue was whether or not there was a nomination period stipulated by the EC.