I'm only 44 and have more years to contest for President – Ayariga

Leader of the All People’s Party Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has said although he has been kicked out from the 2016 presidential race illegally by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, Charlotte Osei, he takes solace in the fact that he is only 44 and still has more years to compete for the highest office of the land.

“I am young and fine. I am 44 years old and can contest again until Ghanaians don’t want me to stand,” he noted.

The opposition leader made this observation when reacting to his disqualification from the 2016 presidential race in an interaction with Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Thursday.

Commenting further, he said his disqualification by the Chairperson of the EC was contempt of the Supreme Court, stressing if care is not taken, Madam Charlotte Osei will plunge Ghana into chaos.

“I don’t know why I am a target for Madam Charlotte Osei. She doesn’t take orders from the Supreme Court. What she and the EC did is contempt of the Supreme Court and if the Court will allow her to do things this way, it means she will plunge this country into chaos,” he noted.

He however, could not confirm whether he will go to the Supreme Court to challenge his disqualification in the coming days.

Hassan Ayariga failed to make the list of qualified Presidential candidates even after a second opportunity was granted him and other presidential aspirants by an order of the Supreme Court.

He was part of 12 disqualified presidential aspirants who were ruled out of the upcoming polls after the EC identified various anomalies on their nomination forms.

Some of the aggrieved candidates including Ayariga proceeded to the High court to challenge their disqualification following which they won judgement.

The Electoral Commission appealed the decision of the High Court at the Supreme Court but lost the case.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the EC to allow all disqualified candidates to correct mistakes on their nomination forms within 24 hours and re-submit them to the Commission.

But upon expiration of the deadline, the Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, Wednesday, announced that the commission was unable to accept Mr Ayariga’s nomination forms and that of eight other candidates because they failed to meet the statutory requirements in C.I. 94.