Presidential ballot: Ayariga to know fate on November 4

The flag bearer of the All People’s Congress, Hassan Ayariga has November 4, 2016 to know if he would be allowed to take steps to light up his presidential ambition.

Mr. Ayariga is in court with the Electoral Commission over his disqualification from contesting the 2016 presidential election in December. The electoral body said two of the subscribers of the nomination forms of the APC founder had subscribed for the People’s National Convention (PNC) flagbearer too and was disqualified based on that and one other reason.

He described the EC’s decision as “joke of the century” and prayed to court to quash it. Both parties properly filed their statement at case on Tuesday November 1, 2016 at an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Barbara Tetteh Charway.

3FM’s Joab Brown who was in court today reports that the trial judge sough clarification on the specific nomination period set by the EC and further enquired if there was any document to show that the EC communicated to the political parties what the nomination period was. Lawyers for the APC insisted that the EC did not give a clear nomination period, which was contested by the Electoral Commission.

While the EC argued that the nomination period was between 8th and 30th September, the plaintiff insisted that period was rather ended on October 10 when the EC received banker’s draft of aspirants and used same day to disqualify him and others.

Having heard both arguments, Justice Barbara Tetteh Charway set November 4, to rule on the case.

NDP vrs EC

Meanwhile, lawyers for the National Democratic Party and Electoral Commission have been ordered by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour to file their written submissions within the next 48 hours, Joab Brown reported.

The parties are expected to return to court on Friday 4th November to make their oral submissions concerning the disqualification of NDP’s flagbearer Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

PNC v EC

In a related development, lawyers for the People’s National Convention (PNC) and EC have also been ordered by Justice Afua Novisi Aryene to file their written submissions within the next 48 hours after a request by PNC lawyers for an abridgment of time was granted. The parties will return to court on Friday 4th November to make their oral submissions.