Court order throws MUSIGA elections off-key

A court order asking the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) to halt its scheduled elections seem to have thrown the association off-key.

Members of the Association had scheduled national elections on Tuesday August 8, 2023 but would not proceed yet, after two of its members secured an injunction barely 24 hours to the polls.

The restraining order, dated August 7, 2023, has Doe Kwablah Seyram Nyamadi and Fredrick Van Dyck as the plaintiffs. MUSIGA and its former President, Bice Osei Kuffour (Obuor) and the Electoral Commission are the defendants.

The plaintiffs, in their statement of claim, say the defendants have “failed to render account of their stewardship to the Union, contrary to the requirements of the MUSIGA constitution.”

They contend that the executives cannot proceed to hold elections without rendering accounts, hence the move to suspend the conduct of the elections.

Mr Peter Marfo, Chairman of MUSIGA Election Committee, described the injunction as an inconvenience in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

He said some of the committee members were on their way to their designated regions to supervise the elections when they received information about the court order.

He said policeman deployed ahead of the elections had to be recalled at the eleventh hour, after the Committee was notified of the injunction, Monday evening.

Mr Marfo, however, said the interim leadership of the association would respond to the writ and take the necessary steps to conduct the elections at a later date.

“There’s nothing happening at the voting centres as of today, Monday, but the acting  leadership would meet and we will see the way forward,” he said.

The MUSIGA elections could not be held in 2019, after former President Bice Osei Kuffour (Obuor) ended his tenure as legal and administrative issues continue blight the Association.

Source: GNA