The Member of Parliament for South Dayi constituency belonging to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has filed a lawsuit against the Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem.
The legal action is a result of Kwaning-Bosompem’s decision to participate in the parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Dafeamekpor is seeking a court order to prevent Kwaning-Bosompem from contesting in the upcoming parliamentary primaries scheduled for Saturday, January 27.
The grounds for this legal action are that it is unconstitutional for the Controller and Accountant-General to maintain his current position while simultaneously vying for a parliamentary slot.
Dafeamekpor argues that the defendant is a civil servant and therefore cannot contest in the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries while holding office as the Controller and Accountant General. Additionally, he argues that if a civil servant wants to participate in a political party’s parliamentary primaries, they must resign from their position as a civil servant.
Furthermore, Dafeamekpor is requesting an interlocutory injunction to restrain Kwaning-Bosompem from representing himself as the Controller and Accountant General while actively pursuing candidacy in the Akim Swedru parliamentary race.
The lawsuit highlights the legal complexities surrounding dual roles in public office and political participation. In recent weeks, some Ghanaians have been calling for the Accountant General to step down from his role before entering the primaries.
However, Richard Ahiagbah, the Communications Director of the NPP, has dismissed such calls, stating that there is currently no explicit rule preventing the Controller and Accountant-General from running for a political office while maintaining his current position.
