We’ll reverse Dr. Mahama’s disqualification - Atik

The General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Atik Muhammad insists its presidential candidate Edward Nasigri Mahama will have his name and portrait on the presidential ballot for the December 7 polls.

According to him, the party’s hierarchy is working round the clock to reverse his disqualification as announced by the Electoral Commission (EC), on Monday.

“I am hopeful Edward Mahama will partake in December polls…there is no way he will be disqualified… the PNC will explore and exploit every opportunity that exist in law to ensure that Mahama contest the polls…,” he assured.

Chairperson of the EC Madam Charlotte Osei disqualified Dr. Edward Mahama and 11 other presidential nominees and put one on hold, pending the determination of a court challenge.

The disqualified aspirants include Mr Hassan Ayariga of All People’s Congress (APC); 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 are: 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.

She 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.

But the PNC scribe Atik said the party was shocked at the announcement as Dr Edward Mahama and the PNC was never new to the filing of presidential nomination forms.

“The PNC is among parties that have since 1992 participated in every election…the laws call on the EC to allow them to do the corrections, it is when we fail to that you can accuse us of breaking election laws…,” he said.

“A friend even called me that Edward Mahama has been disqualified and I said this is a joke, I rushed there for the reasons but I was told to come tomorrow but it’s late and I would go there for it tomorrow,” he said.

“We were never called upon to come and rectify any error, I heard they said someone endorsed Mahama and Ayariga at the same time, if they had told us, we would have rectified it…,” he added.