The leader of the People’s National Convention, Dr Edward Mahama has said that his disqualification from the upcoming Presidential elections has taken a psychological and financial toll on him.
According to him, the news of his qualification came as a big blow to him and his party has been forced to halt most of its campaign activities.
[contextly_sidebar id=”lAVijVk2XpxxNnwIGDeU6N27RC1QXYGJ”]Speaking on the Citi Breakfast show on Monday [November 7], Dr Mahama said, “it has had an effect [on us]. What has happened is that the action of the EC has more or less tethered me as a candidate. Anytime something like this happen, even I as a candidate, it affects my soul. Was there something I could have done different? And Why didn’t I do it?,” he said.
He added that “So I wasn’t surprised when within the party there were arguments among party supporters and party officials as to who did what or who didn’t do what. This is a natural reaction. We have gotten over it.”
He stressed that the party has currently suspended its presidential and parliamentary campaign activities.
He said the party’s plans to raise funds ahead of the elections was cut short by his disqualification.
“I have been disadvantaged because just before the case came up I was making plans to raise funds as a candidate and so when the case came up, you can’t ask people to give you money to be a candidate when you have been disqualified. So from the point of view of even raising funds for my party, I have been disadvantaged,” he stated.
Dr Mahama was among 12 presidential aspirants that were disqualified by the Electoral Commission last month over their failure to meet the requirements of the electoral laws on filing nomination forms for the elections.
Following his disqualification, scores of party members have been engaged in arguments and counter arguments as to who may have been responsible for the errors that formed the basis for Dr Mahama’s disqualification.
‘PNC in court over disqualification’
Meanwhile, the People’s National Convention has dragged the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) to court to challenge the flagbearer’s disqualification and pray the court to order the EC to allow him correct the errors and resubmit his forms.
An Accra High court last week set November 10, 2016 as the day it will give its judgment on the suit.
According to the PNC, the Commission violated its rights of natural justice and administrative justice by not giving them the opportunity to correct errors which they never knew of.
The PNC also accused the EC of not acting fairly as a referee in the upcoming general elections.
The EC has also prayed the court to dismiss the suit of the PNC stating that the errors of the party are ones which cannot be corrected and because it did not follow the right procedure.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana