The EC disqualified them due to errors on their nomination forms, but the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the commission to extend the nomination period and give the parties a hearing – which has been adhered to.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Head of Communication at the EC, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, said “per the ruling of the Supreme Court, by the close of day on Wednesday, they [EC] should be able to come out with a decision on all the forms which we have received.”

They include Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Dr. Edward Mahama, of the People’s National Convention (PNC) among others.

“Most of the aspirants whose nominations were invalidated were able to collect their nomination on Monday, and on Tuesday; two candidates also came to pick their nomination forms so the commission waited for them to submit,” he added.

In all, ten political parties amended their nomination forms at the EC on Tuesday.

The Commission is also expected to conduct a ballot for the presidential candidates ahead of the December elections on Thursday November 10, 2016.

Background

Some of the 12 candidates including Dr. Nduom, PPP, Dr. Hassan Ayariga, APC, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, NDC and two others who were disqualified from the presidential race, sued the EC demanding an order from the court to quash the commission’s decision.

The EC subsequently went to the Supreme Court after an Accra High ordered it to allow the PPP to correct errors on the forms of Dr. Nduom.

But the Supreme Court ordered the EC to give the disqualified candidates a hearing and also extend the nomination period for two days.

Parties storm EC to correct errors

The EC adhered to the Supreme Court’s order, but pointed out new errors on the nomination forms of the disqualified candidates.

Meanwhile, ten out of the 12 disqualified aspirants were able to amend their nomination forms at the close of the extended nomination period on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

New errors in the interest of political parties

Mr. Dzakpasu also defended the decision by the commission to announce new errors it spotted on the nomination forms of the disqualified candidates.

“Per our understanding or the orders of the Supreme Court, we were to give the candidates a hearing, and in that hearing we were to give them the opportunity to identify the errors on their forms and then make the necessary corrections. So it was in all fairness to the candidates themselves that in the process of giving the hearing some of these infractions were identified and brought to their notice and as a matter of fact they saw it and accepted it in good faith and agreed that these are infractions, errors or emissions which can be corrected and therefore agreed to take it and correct.” He added.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings refiled her suit on October 27 after an Accra High Court struck out the initial one on procedural grounds.

Konadu fights EC in court

Nana Konadu together with her party and her running mate sued the Electoral Commission, with the Attorney General, over her disqualification from the presidential race.

They were seeking an “interlocutory injunction, prohibiting and restraining” the Electoral Commission and its agents from going ahead with the balloting of presidential candidate until the court settles the matter.

She also prayed the court to stop the EC from doing the following:

1. Posting any notices at any constituency centres, specifying the names of candidates purportedly nominated and the persons who have proposed and supported each of the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without including name of the 2nd application;
2. Allocating symbols and colours to the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without allocating symbols and colours to the 2nd applicant; and
3. Publishing any notices of poll in the Gazette and in places in constituencies around the country with respect to the 2016 presidential election, without including the name of the 2nd applicant.

The NDP flagbearer in another suit,  prayed the court to declare as illegal the deadline the EC set for receiving nominations and “a further declaration that the EC erred in law when it decided not to accept the applicants nomination thereby wrongfully and illegal disqualifying the applicants from contesting in the 2016 presidential elections.”

They are also seeking an order quashing the EC’s decision not to accept Konadu’s nominations and an order compelling the EC to accept her nomination and to include her name on the ballot for the 2016 presidential election.

Nana Konadu was disqualified with 12 other presidential nominees because they failed to meet some requirements of the electoral laws ahead of the December polls.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The NDP Flagbearer refiled a suit at a Human Rights Division of the High Court after an Accra High Court struck out the initial lawsuit.

The refiling was necessitated after an Accra High Court struck out the initial lawsuit challenging the disqualification.

According to the ruling delivered by Justice George K. Koomson, the decision to strike our the case was due to the wrong procedure used by Nana Konadu in the initial filing hence making the case “incompetent.”

In his ruling the judge indicated that the applicants were wrong to include an application for judicial review and the enforcement of fundamental human rights in one writ.

Konadu fights EC in court

Nana Konadu together with her party and her running mate sued the Electoral Commission, with the Attorney General, over her disqualification from the presidential race.

They were seeking an “interlocutory injunction, prohibiting and restraining” the Electoral Commission and its agents from going ahead with the balloting of presidential candidate until the court settles the matter.

She also prayed the court to stop the EC from doing the following:

1. Posting any notices at any constituency centres, specifying the names of candidates purportedly nominated and the persons who have proposed and supported each of the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without including name of the 2nd application;
2. Allocating symbols and colours to the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without allocating symbols and colours to the 2nd applicant; and
3. Publishing any notices of poll in the Gazette and in places in constituencies around the country with respect to the 2016 presidential election, without including the name of the 2nd applicant.

The NDP flagbearer in another suit,  prayed the court to declare as illegal the deadline the EC set for receiving nominations and “a further declaration that the EC erred in law when it decided not to accept the applicants nomination thereby wrongfully and illegal disqualifying the applicants from contesting in the 2016 presidential elections.”

They are also seeking an order quashing the EC’s decision not to accept Konadu’s nominations and an order compelling the EC to accept her nomination and to include her name on the ballot for the 2016 presidential election.

Nana Konadu was disqualified with 12 other presidential nominees because they failed to meet some requirements of the electoral laws ahead of the December polls.

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By: Duke Opoku Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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An Accra High Accra High Court hearing the case struck out the case on Thursday on procedural grounds.

According to the ruling delivered by Justice George K. Koomson, the decision was due to a wrong procedure used by Nana Konadu in filing her whence making the case “incompetent.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”MQPsJtjUyKQnlO6RQLdo8mh16wVGAGNR”]In his ruling the judge indicated that the applicants were wrong to include an application for judicial review and the enforcement of fundamental human rights in one writ.

Meanwhile a statement signed by Mohammed Frimpong, Secretary General of the NDP said though they disagree with the reason for which their case was shot down, they respect the ruling.

“Of the seven objections raised by the EC, six were dismissed. The court however upheld one objection that we were not permitted to ask for Judicial Review and Enforcement of Fundamental Human rights in the same case, even if all the facts and circumstances are the same. While we may disagree with the court on this point, we respect the ruling. We were even more gratified about the judge’s closing statement that ‘the door is still open.’”

“We have therefore instructed our lawyers to immediately file an action to enforce our rights that we believe the Electoral Commission has blatantly violated leading to its decision not to accept our nomination forms and then disqualify our candidates from contesting in the 2016 presidential election,” the statement added.

Mr. Frimpong further assured supporters of thepart that they would fight the case to its logical conclusion.

“…this matter is not over, not by a long shot. We shall continue to fight to ensure that persons in public offices respect the Constitution of the land and laws that are passed to protect ordinary citizens from arbitrariness, capriciousness and prejudice, and actions that breach the due process of law and requirements imposed by law.”

Background

Nana Konadu together with her party and her running mate sued the Electoral Commission last week and added the Attorney General to the case over her disqualification from the presidential race.

They were seeking an “interlocutory injunction, prohibiting and restraining” the Electoral Commission and its agents from going ahead with the balloting of presidential candidate until the court settles the matter.

She also prayed the court to stop the EC from doing the following:

1. posting any notices at any constituency centres, specifying the names of candidates purportedly nominated and the persons who have proposed and supported each of the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without including name of the 2nd application;
2. Allocating symbols and colours to the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without allocating symbols and colours to the 2nd applicant; and
3. Publishing any notices of poll in the Gazette and in places in constituencies around the country with respect to the 2016 presidential election, without including the name of the 2nd applicant.

The NDP flagbearer in another suit,  prayed the court to declare as illegal the deadline the EC set for receiving nominations and “a further declaration that the EC erred in law when it decided not to accept the applicants nomination thereby wrongfully and illegal disqualifying the applicants from contesting in the 2016 presidential elections.”

They are also seeking an order quashing the EC’s decision not to accept Konadu’s nominations and an order compelling the EC to accept her nomination and to include her name on the ballot for the 2016 presidential election.

Nana Konadu was disqualified with 12 other presidential nominees because they failed to meet some requirements of the electoral laws ahead of the December polls.

PPP to go to Supreme Court if…

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) which is also fighting the disqualification of its flagbearer, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom in court, has earlier stated that it will go to the Supreme Court if the High Court hearing its case fails to rule in its favour.

In response to a question on what the party would do if the judgment does not go its way, Lawyer for the PPP, Ayikoi Otoo simply told Citi News’ Fred Djabanor that “we will go to the Supreme Court.”

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post It’s not over yet; NDP directs lawyers to refile disqualification case appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This comes on the back of the suit filed by the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) at the court in protest of their disqualification.

Nana Konadu who is fighting the case with the party and her running mate added the Attorney General to the case are seeking an “interlocutory injunction, prohibiting and restraining” the Electoral Commission and its agents from going ahead with the balloting of presidential candidate until the court settles the matter.

She also wants the court to stop the EC from doing the following:

1. posting any notices at any constituency centres, specifying the names of candidates purportedly nominated and the persons who have proposed and supported each of the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without including name of the 2nd application;
2. Allocating symbols and colours to the purportedly nominated candidates for the 2016 presidential election, without allocating symbols and colours to the 2nd applicant; and
3. Publishing any notices of poll in the Gazette and in places in constituencies around the country with respect to the 2016 presidential election, without including the name of the 2nd applicant.

The Court is however expected to hear the case on Monday, October 24, 2016.

In another suit, Nana Konadu and her NDP are praying the court to declare as illegal the deadline the EC set for receiving nominations and “a further declaration that the EC erred in law when it decided not to accept the applicants nomination thereby wrongfully and illegal disqualifying the applicants from contesting in the 2016 presidential elections.”

They are also seeking an order quashing the EC’s decision not to accept Konadu’s nominations and an order compelling the EC to accept her nomination and to include her name on the ballot for the 2016 presidential election.

Nana Konadu was disqualified with 12 other presidential nominees because they failed to meet some requirements of the electoral laws ahead of the December polls.

[contextly_sidebar id=”MeeQipa6wivGIfBCSAdBN7Su2MyfuDIJ”]In explaining the NDP’s disqualification, the EC explained that, “The Commission is unable to accept Mrs. Rawlings’ nomination because the number of subscribers to her forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94. One subscriber on page 89 of her nomination forms is not a validly registered voter, and illegally registered twice and so is on the Exclusion list of multiple voters. Details are Salifu Abdulai District: Nanumba South, Voter ID no: 6617004814 (28.3.2012), Voter ID no: 2126900022 (04.8.2014).”

But the party had threatened to “strip the commission naked” if it does not accept their flagbearer back into the race.

The Deputy Communications Director of the NDP, Ernest Owusu Bempah had earlier told Citi News, that Nana Konadu’s disqualification is a deliberate attempt by the EC to prevent the NDP from contesting in the elections.

“This is a deliberate attempt by Charlotte Osei and the EC to disqualify us… they should clap for themselves for tarnishing the image of our multiparty democracy in the country, and deliberately running into the pockets of the government of the day and trying to please their pay masters,” Mr Bempah told Richard Sky on Eyewitness News.

Owusu Bempah challenged the Electoral Commission’s reasons for his party’s disqualification stating that, the EC must provide additional information on the basis for their disqualification.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post Nana Konadu goes to court to compel EC to accept nomination appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to her, the NDC does not deserve a second term since it has failed in addressing various challenges Ghanaians are battling with.

Addressing party faithfuls at the outdooring of her Vice Presidential nominee, Kojo Mensah Sosu, Mrs Rawlings said the NDC is only interested in enriching itself.

“We intend to do our best to put NDP in governance and to serve the people of this country, Ghana. We say we believe in the people, yes indeed we do because we always want to play people over politics. We are not like those people who like to politicize everything. People are suffering, people are hungry, people are dying because they can’t get medical care and yet they say they are transforming lives and changing lives. I think it is true though. They are transforming their lives and changing their lives.”

NDP to rule out marginalisation of underclass

For his part, the Vice Presidential Nominee of the NDP, Kojo Mensah Sosu said the NDP will rule out marginalisation of the underclass when voted into power.

“ I have taken a bold step and I pray it inspires others to join in the battle of ideas to build a great nation. We should not let our fears or our anxiety hold us back in contributing our bit. Together we shall rule out the marginalization of the underclass. Women, children, the youth and citizens who contribute to the welfare of the economy.”

About the running mate 

The running mate is a  businessman, and leader of some local football clubs in the country.

He is married with 5 children .

He’s expected to complement the flag bearer given his deep understanding of the political trend in the country, the party said.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline,com/Ghana
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The post Nana Konadu unveils running mate; asks Ghanaians to vote out NDC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.