[ 2016-11-09 ]

EC has made up its mind not to include me – Akpaloo
The Independent People’s Party (IPP)
Presidential Candidate says his
re-disqualification by the Electoral Commission
(EC) from the upcoming presidential race was
deliberate.

Kofi Akpaloo said he did not deserve the treatment
meted to him by the Commission because he paid due
diligence in the refilling of his nomination
form.

“They have made their mind not to include me. I
didn’t do anything wrong,” he told Raymond
Acquah, host of Joy FM’s Top Story programme,
Wednesday.

EC boss, Charlotte Osei has announced the
disqualification of eight presidential candidates
out of the earlier 13 candidates which led to the
litany of court cases brought against the
Commission.

The Progressive People's Party (PPP) was the first
to start the legal suit as it headed to the High
Court to challenge the disqualification of its
flagbearer, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom.

An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Kyei
Baffuor ruled that the Commission's decision was
unfair since the economist was not granted a
hearing as directed by C.I.94, the law governing
the December 7 polls.
He ordered the EC to give Dr Nduom an opportunity
to make corrections on his nomination form.

The Commission was displeased by the ruling and
took the matter to the Supreme Court (SC) for an
interpretation.

But the panel of judges who sat on the case on
Monday upheld the decision of the lower court
directing the EC to reopen the nomination exercise
from Monday to Tuesday.

The decision by the apex court gave hope to the
other political parties some of whom were at the
High Court challenging the disqualification of
their candidates.

After resubmitting their nomination forms on
Tuesday, the EC Chair said she was unable to
accept the nominations of seven presidential
candidates.
They include Standard Bearers of the All People's
Congress (APC), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), United
Front Party (UFP), and the Great Consolidated
Popular Party (GCPP).

The others are leaders of the United Development
System Party (UDSP), the Independent People's
Party (IPP), and two independent candidates, Ward
Brew and Kwame Asiedu Walker.

This means that the presidential race would be
contested by presidential candidates of the
governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), New
Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People's Party
(CPP) and the People's National Convention (PNC).

The former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang
Rawlings who leads the National Democratic Party
(NDP) also made onto the ballot this time around,
Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People's
Party (PPP) and an independent candidate, Jacob
Osei Yeboah.

But Mr Akpaloo said he was surprised that he could
not make the list after he had met the EC
Chairperson to address the issues with his
nomination form.
He, however, said for the peace of the nation, he
would desist from actions that would undermine the
general election.

"There are so many options but for the peace of
this country I will let it go and look to 2014 if
we are still alive," he said.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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