Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging referendum on new regions

The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit challenging the planned referendum for the creation of six new regions in the country. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that the three individuals who initiated the suit failed to properly invoke the interpretative jurisdiction of the apex court. The three plaintiffs, Mayor Agbleze, Destiny Awlimey and Jean Claude Koku Amenyaoglo, went to the Supreme Court seeking an interpretation of Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution, which deals with the creation of new regions and merger of regions. They had argued that it was unconstitutional for the referendum for the new regions to be limited to only the proposed areas. According to them, the right thing was to allow all persons in the entire regions that would be altered to vote. But in its judgment, the Supreme Court held that Article 5 was clear, precise and unambiguous and, therefore, did not inquire any interpretation from the apex court. It said Article 5 mandates the Commission of Inquiry to specify the areas where the referendum should be held, while the Electoral Commission was mandated to prescribe the manner in which the referendum was to be held. The judgement was read by Professor Justice Nii Ashie Kotey while Justice Sophia Adinyera presided over the panel. Other members of the panel were Justice Jones Dotse, Justice Anin Yeboah, Justice Samuel K. Marful-Sau, Justice Agnes M. Dodzie, and Justice Nene A. Amegatcher.

• Creation of 6 new regions in the hands of EC & Ghanaians – Prez

Creation of new regions President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, upon assumption of office in 2017, received a petition from some chiefs for some six new regions to be created. Following this petition, he constituted a Commission of Inquiry to see to the creation of the new regions.

• 9-member commission to oversee creation of new regions inaugurated

Findings of the Commission’s report paved way for the EC to organize a referendum for the creation of the new regions.

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The demarcation indicating the people who can vote in the referendum did not go down with some persons, and this led to the suit being filed at the Supreme Court. Source: editors.3news.com|Ghana