Only four presidential aspirants have qualified to contest Election 2016. They are Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Dramani Mahama of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention Peoples Congress (CPP) and Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY), an independent candidate.
Akwasi Addae Odike of the United Progressive Party (UPP) has been given up to Friday October 14, 2016 to sort out a court case with his political party executives who are challenging his nomination as their flag bearer before the EC will consider his candidature.
Out of the total 17 aspirants who submitted their nomination forms to be considered as presidential candidates, the commission has disqualified 12 of them on grounds of not meeting the requirements.
They Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of PPP, Mr Hassan Ayariga of APC, Dr Edward Nasigri Mahama of PNC, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of NDP and Mr Kofi Apaloo of IPP.
Others are Mr T.N. Ward Brew of DPP, Mr Henry Lartey of GCPP, Richard Tetteh of USDP, Akua Donkor of GFP, Nana Agyenim Boateng of UFP and Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of NDP.
Some of the subscribers of the presidential aspirants did not meet the requirements of the EC. Some also sponsored more than one candidate with same names and voter registration details.
According to the EC they only changed their signatures.
Some aspirants did not properly sign their nomination forms, others did not do their statutory declaration properly, did not present the correct amount for filing fees and others had less than the required number of voters signing their nomination forms,
Addressing a press conference on Monday in Accra, the EC Chair, Mrs Charlottte Osei indicated the matter would be referred to the Attorney General for investigations and prosecution.
“In the event that a voter endorses more than one candidate, it disqualifies that candidate,” Mrs Osei said.
Other reasons assigned by the commission for disqualifying the aspirants of selecting vice presidential candidates who do not meet constitutional requirements, not providing proper details of registered voters in the districts as their sponsors,
Mrs Osei said letters have since been sent to all the candidates affected.
Hassan Ayariga
The EC explained that Mr Hassan Ayariga of the APC was disqualified because he did not provide evidence of his declaration and his residence in his constituency specified by law.
“Similarly two of Mr Ayariga’s subscribers also subscribed for another presidential candidate in breach of regulations 74 in C.I. 94.”
This means that after disqualifying those two subscribers, Mr Ayariga did not get the number of total subscribers required.
On the forms, the EC observed that the signatures of the two voters were different on the forms of the other presidential candidate even though their voter details were the same and therefore raises questions on the legitimacy of the signatures.
“The commission will therefore refer the matter on possible forgery of the signatures to the Ghana Police Service and Attorney General for investigations and prosecution. We will like to point out that making a force declaration in statutory declaration is a criminal offence, making a false declaration on forms for office is criminal offence, so it is perjury
…more to follow soon
Source: Dan Kwasi Prince// www.dailyviewgh.com /Ghana
Writer’s email dailyviewgh@gmail.com
