The Supreme Court has granted the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) request to serve court documents to their counterparts in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) via WhatsApp.
The NDC filed an application at the apex court on January 6, 2025, challenging orders made by the High Court to collate outstanding polling center results and declare winners.
The NDC argued that the High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the mandamus applications from the NPP candidates and the subsequent orders.
However, after initiating the certiorari application and its supplementary process, the NPP candidates involved in the disputed parliamentary election results were unavailable for service.
In response, the lawyers for the NDC candidates filed an application for substituted service.
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, a single Supreme Court judge, Justice Henry Anthony Kwoffie, granted the NDC’s request to serve the documents via WhatsApp and other means.
The court allowed the applicants (NDC candidates) to serve the documents on: Patrick Yaw Boamah (Okaikwei Central), Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, (Ablekuma North), Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, (Techiman South), and the Clerk of Parliament (2nd to 5th interested party, respectively).
The court’s decision enables the NDC to proceed with serving the court documents to the NPP candidates and other interested parties via WhatsApp.
“By posting copies of the certiorari application, the supplementary affidavit in support of the certiorari application and the hearing notice on the notice board of the Honourable Court.
“By posting the certiorari application, the supplementary affidavit in support of the certiorari application and the hearing notice on the 4th Interested Party at House No. 9, Glover CLGTo85-5138, Tema Community 6.
“By posting the certiorari application, the supplementary affidavit in support of the certiorari application and the hearing notice at the office of the 3rd Interested Party, GA-500-6603, Odorkor, Accra.
“By serving copies of the certiorari application, the supplementary affidavit in support of the certiorari application and the hearing notice, specifically in relation to the 2nd, 4th and 5th Interested Parties, on the legal department of the Office of Parliament.
“By serving the copies of the certiorari application, the supplementary affidavit in support of the certiorari application and the hearing notice via the WhatsApp Contacts of the 3rd to 5th Interested Parties.
The Electoral Commission is the first interested Party while the Applicants are – Baba Sadiq (Okaikwei Central), Ewurabena Aubyn (Ablekuma North), Ebi Bright (Tema Central) and Christopher Beyere (Techiman South).
Justice Kwofie said, the order of the Court is to last for 14 days.
