Lead Counsel for the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Nii Ayikoi Otoo, has expressed fears that the new deadline for the submission of nomination forms, tomorrow [Tuesday] 5:00pm, may not be enough for the affected political parties and their aspirants.
This follows a Supreme Court order to the Electoral Commission (EC) to extend the nomination period to the close of Tuesday, November 8, 2016, for all disqualified presidential aspirants to make the necessary corrections on their nomination forms.
Speaking to the media after the judgement, Mr. Ayikoi Otoo, a former Attorney General, said a two-day window would have been preferable to afford the parties more time to correct their errors.
“Today is Monday; and the close of day tomorrow [Tuesday], at 5:00pm, may not suit everybody; so I thought perhaps Wednesday would have been better so that they have two days to do the corrections and close of day Wednesday, they can present them. But unfortunately, the Supreme Court is saying that once the election is fixed for the 7th of December, it is better we work hard to ensure that we work within the period,” he explained.
Mr. Ayikoi Otoo however said the period for the correction would be enough for the PPP as he noted that “we have only one anomaly which we will deal with.”
The Commission disqulified Dr. Nduom because the number of subscribers to his nomination forms did not meet the requirements of the EC’s regulation, and one subscriber endorsed his forms in two different districts.
Background
But the EC went to Court because it disgareed with the High Court ruling. Among other things, it prayed the court to quash the decision of the High Court, and also make a ruling that will settle all other suits on the disqualification.
The Supreme Court justices in their ruling on Tuesday, also ordered a suspension of all lawsuits challenging the EC’s disqualifications of flagbearers, for all those affected to amend the errors on their forms.
In explaining the judgment of the seven-member panel of Justices, the presiding Justice, Sophia Adinyira, said their decision was to enable the EC give hearing to all parties involved in the legal tussle over the qualification, due to limited time left for the election to be held.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana