“Power must always be answerable to the people,” says private legal practitioner and Kofi Asmah, Managing Partner of Gyandoh Asmah & Co.

His comment follows a major ruling by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) that has cleared the way for IMANI Centre for Policy and Education’s case against the Electoral Commission (EC) to proceed.

CHRAJ dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the EC that sought to block IMANI’s petition over the procurement and disposal of biometric election equipment valued in the tens of millions of dollars.

The petition, filed through Gyandoh Asmah & Co., accuses the EC of maladministration, abuse of power and discretion, reckless financial conduct, and possible conflict of interest.

Mr Asmah described the ruling as “not just a victory for IMANI, but for every Ghanaian who believes that power must always be answerable to the people,” adding that justice thrives when institutions “are courageous enough to ask difficult questions and independent enough to demand honest answers.”

IMANI, in a statement, welcomed the decision as “a vital step toward justice, accountability, and administrative propriety in Ghana’s electoral processes,” praising CHRAJ’s firmness and impartiality in handling the matter.

The EC is being represented by Ace Anan Ankomah of Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah.

Mr Asmah says the ruling strengthens the democratic principle that no public body is beyond scrutiny and that governance must always meet the standards of transparency and due process.