Ayariga’s disqualification temporary – APC

The disqualification of Mr Hassan Ayariga, the flag bearer of the All People’s Congress (APC), to contest in the 2016 presidential polls is a temporary issue that will be reversed in court, Razak Kojo Opoku, General Secretary of the APC, has said.

Mr Ayariga and 12 other presidential nominees were recently disqualified from the 2016 presidential poll for various clerical infractions as far as filling their nominations forms is concerned.

His disqualification got him angry, causing him to describe the Chair of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, as "stupid" and "foolish", when he spoke to Class91.3FM's Emefa Apawu minutes after the announcement of his fate.

The other aspirants who were disqualified from the race over various anomalies include 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); 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.

But speaking in an interview with Prince Minkah, host of the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS), on Friday October 14, Mr Opoku explained that until the courts uphold the decision of the Electoral Commission, the announcement of his ineligibility to contest should be seen as an “interim disqualification”.

He said: “That is not the final decision; it can be overturned by the court. Let’s wait and see if the decision of the EC will be upheld or struck out.”