Let 'fairness' prevail – Mike Ocquaye to EC

Even though the right processes must be followed in the build-up to the December 7 elections, justice and fairness must not be overlooked, Prof Mike Ocquaye, the Chairperson for the Legal & Constitutional Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said.

“The consolidation of Ghanaian democracy requires that principles of justice and fairness govern all aspects of our electoral process,” he noted in a statement issued by the NPP on Tuesday, October 11, 2016, which bore his signature.

His comments come in the wake of the Electoral Commission’s disqualification of 12 presidential nominees from the 2016 elections.

Those 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.

The chair of the EC, Mrs Charlotte Osei, cited filing anomalies including fraudulent signatures, absence of a required number of signatures, improper filling of nomination forms, among others, as the reasons for their disqualification. In the case of Mr Odike, Mrs Osei said the UPP nominee had been given up to Friday, 14 October to deal with the court case or count himself out of the race completely.

The NPP in its statement expressed its “sympathies with the candidates whose nominations have been rejected despite their efforts to meet the requirements of the law”.

The party said the right things must be done in the management of the country’s elections, adding that it hoped “the legal process, if any, will resolve expeditiously any issues arising from the Electoral Commission’s decision”.