The Supreme Court Wednesday unanimously ruled that the Electoral Commission will have to re-run elections at six polling centres in the Akwatia Constituency of the Eastern Region.

The five-member panel chaired by Justice William Atugubah consequently quashed an earlier decision of the High Court in Koforidua ordering the EC to re-run the entire Akwatia Constituency elections.

The High Court's decision followed a petition by Baba Jamal, NDC candidate in the 2008 elections, and two independent candidates, Basil Ahiable and Samuel Abrokwah.

There was confusion over the ballots in the disputed polling centres amidst claims and counter claims of ballot box stuffing after some machomen stormed the centres and attempted to steal the boxes.

The EC, after the poll, announced it would run the Akwatia polls again but in six polling stations where it was thought the process was truncated, however the petitioning group asked it to run the entire constituency.

The fourth candidate was Dr Kofi Asare of the New Patriotic Party, who supported the decision of the EC to run the elections again in only the six troubled centres.

Baba Jamal and the two others therefore went to court to stop the Electoral Commission from running the poll in only the six constituencies and also from declaring anyone the winner of the constituency polls.

After the Supreme Court ruling, counsel for Baba Jamal expressed disappointment and intimated his client would appeal against the decision.


Story by Isaac Yeboah/Myjoyonline.com