The Ghana Police Service has begun the process of withdrawing police guards assigned to all the 13 presidential hopefuls who have been disqualified from the race by the Electoral Commission.
“We have commenced the process of withdrawing the security personnel assigned to the presidential aspirants. …We are going to withdraw them as soon as possible,” Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur told Class News’ Regina Borley Bortey on 12Live on Class 91.3FM on Wednesday October 12.
The chair of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, who announced the disqualification of the aspirants, cited filing anomalies including fraudulent signatures, absence of a required number of signatures, improper filling of nomination forms, among others, as the reasons for the EC’s decision.
The 2016 presidential aspirants disqualified include the flag bearer of the All People's Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga; Dr Edward Mahama of the People's National Convention (PNC); Dr Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP); Kofi Akpaloo of the Independent People's Party (IPP); Kwabena Adjei of the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD); and Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People's Party (PPP).
The others include: Dr Henry Herbert Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP); Mr Richard Nixon Tetteh (United Development Systems Party); Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP); Thomas Ward-Brew of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP); Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker, an independent candidate, and Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP). Mr Akwasi Addae Odike of the United Progressive Party's nomination is on hold pending a court case.