Three Parties Sue EC For Disqualifying Their Flag Bearers (Front)

 

       

 

Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan - EC Chairman

The Electoral Commission is under fire to register some rejected presidential hopefuls or face court action.

While the New Vision Party (NVP) is going to court to ensure that some EC officials involved in an alleged bribery scandal are investigated, the Independent People’s Party (IPP) has already gone to court to compel the EC to register its candidate, Mr Kofi Akpalu, with the National Democratic Party (NDP) giving the EC a 24-hour ultimatum to respond to questions concerning the disqualification of its flag bearer, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, or face legal action.

Prophet Daniel Nkansah, the disappointed flag bearer of the NVP, told graphic.com.gh that he had a writ of summons to compel the EC to stop the election.

According to him, the officials conducting the election had criminal cases being investigated by the police hence the EC must be prevented from conducting the elections.

“I am looking forward to taking the case to court and place an injunction on the elections, if the EC officials, including Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, are not removed from their positions.”

Prophet Nkansah said the EC was corrupt and that its officials could not be trusted to handle the upcoming elections.

He was, however, confident that the court would consider his reliefs to put an injunction on the election until the issue of corruption within the EC was dealt with.

Counsel for the IPP told Joy News that the behaviour of the EC contravened the provisions of the1992 Constitution.

The lawyer said the IPP presidential aspirant complied with all regulations of the filing process only to be rejected by the EC with what he said, was a frivolous excuse.

“They just glanced through and flipped through the forms and didn’t take us serious,” he alleged.

He said the basis for disqualification, which was a mark that was not indicated on the form, was not acceptable as it violated the Constitution.

The EC, he said, was subject to the laws of the country, adding that even though the party was not interested in dragging the matter, the EC would be made to answer for its actions in court.

“If you are vested with power, you don’t use it capriciously,” he stated.

With the tempers boiling in the IPP and the NVP camps against the EC, the NDP also joined the fray, giving the EC a 24-hour ultimatum to register its candidate or answer in court.

Counsel for Nana Konadu, Mr Stanley Ahorlu, said on Joy News that the action of the EC violated public law and principles of democratic governance.

He said the law had been flouted in the disqualification of the former First Lady, adding that the party had not been told the basis for the disqualification of its candidate as required by law.

Mr Ahorlu said while the NDP was open to a meeting with the EC to clarify the basis of the disqualification of its candidate, it would not hesitate to go to court to seek reliefs.

Ever since the EC rejected the nomination forms of some six presidential contenders, it has been at the receiving end of threats of legal suits. Two of its officials – Emmanuel Asante Kisi, the Logistics Officer, and Mr Kofi Asomaning, the Director of Elections – have even been embroiled in bribery scandals.