Charlotte Osei, the first female Electoral Commissioner for the Electoral Commission (EC) is inexperienced, lawyer Aikoi Otoo lead counsel for the Progressive People’ Party (PPP) has said.
The lawyer was addressing the media after the Accra High Court ruled in favour of his client Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, over his disqualification. The presiding judge ordered the EC to give Dr. Nduom an opportunity to amend the errors on his nomination forms which warranted his disqualification some few weeks ago.
Nii Ayikoi Otoo when asked his opinion on the disqualification and the posture of the EC boss said: “I am aware the number of years she has practiced . In these matters, which can affect the rights of others, she needs to do more consultation before proceeding to court,” “So having misbehaved, she cannot benefit from her wrong doing… Did she act in a rational manner? Was she fair? These are the issues.
She breached all the laws which also amount to illegality. The errors are all there, apparent on the face of CI 94…Everybody has understood this position and I don’t expect the judge to go any other way,” he observed.
The lawyer explained that , it was clear the Electoral Commission (EC) erred in disqualifying Dr Nduom and has so far failed to offer any good explanation for his disqualification and that it was not for nothing that the law states that aspirants should be given ample time to amend and alter mistakes on their nomination forms if any.
“I bring my forms to you on the 30th. You accept the forms. You told me nothing, go, you’ll hear from me. Then on the 10th the only hearing is that I have been disqualified. Have you acted according to the law? Did you give me the opportunity to do the corrections?” he quipped.
“If parliament wanted everybody who commits an error to be disqualified, (it) would have said so. It wouldn’t say that give the person opportunity to go and amend; not only amend but alter.
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