The presidential candidate for the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom has finally backed his words with action by going to court to seek for redress over his disqualification from contesting the December 7 Presidential elections.
Nduom who is incensed with the decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has brought charges against the Commission’s Chairperson, Charlotte Osei and the electoral management body itself.
In a suit filed at the Accra High Court dated October 14, 2016 by Hon. J. Ayikoi Otoo on behalf of Dr. Nduom, the PPP leader wants the court to order Charlotte Osei and the Electoral Commission (1st and 2nd Respondents) to bring his nomination forms to court for a Judicial Review and to also nullify his disqualification upon the grounds of;
(1) Breach of the rules of natural justice;
(2) Error apparent on the face of the Record
(3) Failing to leave within the requirement as imposed by law.
The PPP leader is also praying to the court for an order of prohibition to restrain Charlotte Osei and the EC from proceeding with balloting for position of Presidential Candidates for the December 7 elections.
That aside, Dr. Nduom is also praying to the court for a further order directed against Madam Charlotte Osei in her capacity as the Returning Officer elections to grant him (Dr. Nduom) the opportunity to amend and alter the one anomaly found in his nomination papers as well as accept his nomination papers as amended or altered to enable him contest as a Presidential Candidate for the 7th December 2016 elections.
He also wants further orders as the High Court may deem fit.
On October, 10, 2016, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei pronounced Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom disqualified from the December 7 polls for not meeting all the criteria set out by the electoral body.
According to Madam Osei, the EC could not accept Dr. Nduom’s nomination because the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirement of Regulation 7(2)(b) of C. I. 94.
In view of the EC, one subscriber, Richard Aseda (‘Asida’ on the Voters’ Register), with Voter ID number 7812003957 endorsed the forms in two different districts which makes it impossible for Dr. Nduom to meet the subscriber requirement.
The subscriber, the EC added, was found to be on the Voter’s Register in one district, thereby, disqualifying his second subscription and reducing the total number of subscribers to below the minimum required by the law.
“The same subscriber (Richard Aseda (‘Asida’) endorsed the form with different signatures in both portions of the nomination form. This raises questions as to the legitimacy of one or both signatures,” she noted.
She added “We will refer the matter of the possible forgery of the signature(s) to the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General for investigation and prosecution in line with the following sections of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29): Section 211: Perjury; Section 248: making false declaration etc. for office or voting; Section 251: Deceiving a public officer; Section 256: Corruption, Intimidation and personation in respect of election.”
