Withdrawal of #gangof12 guards 'right' - Kwesi Aning

The Ghana Police Service has done the "right" thing by withdrawing police guards assigned to 13 presidential aspirants who have been disqualified by the Electoral Commission, security analyst Dr Kwesi Aning has said.

"They don't deserve security detail because they are no more presidential aspirants," Dr Aning told Emefa Apawu on Class91.3FM's 505 news programme on Wednesday, 12 October, adding that the "police has done what is right and proper".

"It's about saving money for the state. … Immediately they have been disqualified, they lose the privilege to have that security. … They were ordinary citizens before they became presidential aspirants," he stressed.

The Police Service said earlier on Wednesday: "We have commenced the process of withdrawing the security personnel assigned to the presidential aspirants. …We are going to withdraw them as soon as possible," Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur, told Class News' Regina Borley Bortey on 12Live on Class91.3FM.

The chair of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, who announced the disqualification of the aspirants, cited filing anomalies including fraudulent signatures, absence of a required number of signatures, improper filling of nomination forms, among others, as the reasons for the EC’s decision.

The 2016 presidential aspirants 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.