The PPP filed a suit at the High Court in on September 19 seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent the Commission from receiving the nominations in protest of the EC’s much criticised increase in the filing fees for presidential and parliamentary aspirants.

Yesterday [Thursday] the EC said it would not be accepting filing fees from the presidential and parliamentary aspirants because of the injunction.

But the EC however accepted the filing fee of the PPP flagberer, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, who was represented by the party’s Chairman, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond.

Mr. Hammond subsequently requested that the filing fee be returned but the EC Chair, Charlotte Osei, said it was too late to return the fee as the PPP was aware of the legal implications yet still presented the fee in bank draft form, according to Citi FM’s Godwin Allotey.

The PPP Chairman explained that his party presented the forms, the suit notwithstanding, because regulations “indicated that all of the submission of nominations should be accompanied with the filing fee so we were complying with that.”

Godwin Allotey also reported that moments later, the Flagbearer of the Unity Development System Party (UDSP), Richard Nixon Tetteh, also submitted nomination forms but the EC did not accept its filing fee.

The EC opened nominations earlier in September and pegged the filing fees for presidential hopefuls at GHc 50,000 and that of parliamentary nominees at GHc 10,000.

Some aggrieved parties subsequently asked the EC to review the amount describing it as “exorbitant.”

The Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom-led PPP followed its concerns with the suit seeking the injunction to prevent the EC from receiving the nominations.

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Photos: Godwin Allotey

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post EC accepts PPP’s filing fee, refuses to return it appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Nana Akufo-Addo was at the Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters in person today [Thursday] to file his nomination forms.

The EC however temporarily refused to accept the filing fee from the NPP Flagbearer, when he submitted his forms.

The Commission said its action was informed by a court injunction secured by the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) over the hike in the filling fees.

The NPP Flagbearer was accompanied by his Campaign Manager; Peter Mac Manu,  Acing Party Chairman; Freddy Blay, Acting Secretary; John Boadu, Chairman of the NPP Council of Elders; C.K. Tedam.

Also present in support were the Former Finance Minister; John Osafo Marfo, the party’s National Women’s Organiser, Otiko Djaba and the Chairman of the NPP’s Legal and Constitutional Committee, Professor Mike Oquaye.

The next major step in Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP’s bid to win power will be on Sunday, October 9 at the Trade Fair Center in Accra where the opposition party will be launching its manifesto.

The incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) is expected to file nomination forms for President John Mahama later on Thursday.

Submission of forms

The EC, this morning [Thursday], began receiving completed nomination forms from presidential and parliamentary hopefuls.

The two day exercise will see all nominations filed with the Chairperson between 9am to midday, and 2pm to 5pm.

At the last count, 23 persons had picked up Presidential nomination forms, 16 of them belonging to political parties and 7 independent candidates.

Parliamentary nominees across the country are also expected to file at the various District EC offices. Nominations are expected to close tomorrow at 5pm.

Controversy ahead of filing

Just two days to the deadline for the submission of nomination forms on Friday, September 30, the EC came out remind presidential and parliamentary nominees they will not be eligible to contest the elections if they did not declare their assets with the Auditor General.

The EC in a statement said the “candidates are to take note of the requirement to declare their assets to the Auditor-General in order to meet the eligibility criteria.”

With two days to the deadline, only the Flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has come out publicly to confirm the declaration of his assets to the Auditor General.

The NPP did not receive this warmly as it said the criteria was only binding persons already holding public office, and not those seeking to be office. It however said its candidate will readily declare his assets.

Follow the hashtag #GhElections on Social Media for more election related stories

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Photo credit: Godwin A. Allotey
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Nana Addo submits nomination forms to EC [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.