The National Treasurer of the People’s National Convention (PNC) says the performance of the former EC Chair, Dr Kwadwo Afari Djan in the ways he handled issues about election are noncomparable to the current Chair, Charlotte Osei.
Akane Adams says the recent decision by Mrs Osei in which 13 political parties seeking to contest the December polls were disqualified on grounds of slights found on their nomination forms would not have taken place under Dr Djan.
He explains the longest serving Electoral Commission (EC) chairman under whose leadership Ghana has changed government three times, had often chosen to point out errors found on nomination forms of political parties 3 hours after submission and given opportunities for the errors to be fixed.
But Mrs Osei had “10 solid days to revert to political parties for possible remedy of errors whilst their case was pending at the high court but they failed to do so due to their self intended motives,” he said.
The Monday decision by the EC to disqualify 13 political parties for failing to do due diligence in the filling of their nomination forms, has been greeted with wide criticism across the political spectrum.
The affected parties are the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), People’s National Convention (PNC), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), United Front Party (UFP), United People’s Party (UPP), All People’s Congress (APC), Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), and Independent People’s Party (IPP).
The rest include the Reformed Patriotic Democrats, United Development Systems Party (UDSP), Democratic People’s Party (DPP), and an Independent candidate, Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker.
Giving reasons for the disqualification of the PNC flagbearer, Dr Edward Mahama, the EC chair said the PNC leader’s nomination form was improperly signed by the 432 subscribers as directed.
She also said two of Dr Mahama’s subscribers Abaaku Issifu with the voter ID number 2988006876 and Abudu Ayuba with the ID number 6303005554 had endorsed another candidate with different signatures, an act which flouts the law.
“For a large majority of subscribers, the signature portion was ticked rather than subscribed with a signature, thumb print or mark. It is important to point out that a simple tick does not satisfy the requirements of the law for where a mark is made in lieu of a signature or thumb print,” she said.
“In conclusion, Dr Mahama does not have the requisite number of subscribers required under Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94 and his nomination cannot therefore be accepted.”
The PNC treasurer who was instrument in the 2012 campaign of the then PNC flagbearer, Dr Hassan Ayariga said despite the presence of some of these challenges in last four years’ election, Dr Afari Djan asked for the errors to be addressed rather than dismissing their nomination.
“What is so different with the current EC of 2016 from that of 2012?” he asked, adding it might seem the Mrs Osei is racing for a price. She wants to please somebody, he said.
“I must admit Commissioner Afari Djan was far better as we now have ‘hot heads’ mistaken for firmness,” he said.
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