My fate is in EC’s hands - Odike

Presidential nominee for the United Progressive Party, Akwasi Addai Odike, whose disqualification was based on a court case challenging his status in his party, says his fate is in the hands of the Electoral Commission.

Although the EC has not announced errors or irregularities on his presidential nomination forms yet, Mr Odike showed up at the EC headquarters Tuesday to enquire whether the Commission would give him the chance contest in the December 7 presidential election.

Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei on October 10 said the EC was unable to process Mr Odike’s forms until the final determination of his case in court. The EC consequently gave him up to October 14 to “resolve the matter… after which date the Commission would be unable to process the nomination”.

The deadline has since elapsed meaning he has automatically been disqualified.

But Mr Odike told 3News correspondent Isaac Essel at the EC headquarters Tuesday morning that he is hopeful the Commission will pass his nomination despite the suit challenging his candidacy.

He said should the EC maintain its decision there is nothing he would do, saying, “life [still] goes on” for him. Mr Odike, however, declined to give details on the status of the case, which the EC is also a party to.

In the court case, some members of the UPP are challenging the membership and candidacy of Mr Odike, an action the Mrs Osei says seeks to restrain the Commission from issuing, accepting and registering Mr Odike to contest the 2016 presidential election as the flagbearer of the UPP.