"It appears Nana Akufo-Addo and NPP have not been paying attention to this minor but very interesting development by the EC."
Few readers at ghanaweb would challenge the claim that you provide some of the most inc ... read full comment
Kofi,
"It appears Nana Akufo-Addo and NPP have not been paying attention to this minor but very interesting development by the EC."
Few readers at ghanaweb would challenge the claim that you provide some of the most incisive political and judicial analyses that appear at this site. The current article is proof of your ability to see proverbial "the devil in the details".
Hopefully, stakeholders -politicians, legislators, legal scholars and the electorate at large- will rise to the occasion and treat this matter with the attention it deserves, before it creates a havoc.
The original ghanaman
BOY KOFI 8 years ago
Let me make it clear here,Nana Addo is the cheapest and easy to beat candidate for NDC.Nana Addo is not a threat to NDC at all that is why they have beaten him twice.NDC is very happy meeting him again.Now listen,NPP should h ... read full comment
Let me make it clear here,Nana Addo is the cheapest and easy to beat candidate for NDC.Nana Addo is not a threat to NDC at all that is why they have beaten him twice.NDC is very happy meeting him again.Now listen,NPP should have taken note of the way Mahama was able to beat Nana Addo in less than 4 months campaign.I think NPP has failed to study the 2012 elections report properly.They refused to eleborate sufficiently on the technical issues.Many of us the independent observers were of the view that NPP should have presented a new face,a much younger candidate,charismatic and intelligent.In conclusion,I believe NPP have squandered their chance again,making it easy for Mahama to beat Nana Addo.The NDC is more strategic than NPP that is why they have been winning 8 regions out of 10 always.Thank you.
Mahmoud 8 years ago
Contrary to what the discredited former EC Chairman said, this is another example of how elections are rigged far away from polling stations. Ghanaians must wake up because NDC is also preparing to rig the elections through t ... read full comment
Contrary to what the discredited former EC Chairman said, this is another example of how elections are rigged far away from polling stations. Ghanaians must wake up because NDC is also preparing to rig the elections through the old corrupted voters register and illegal disqualifications.
Kodjo 8 years ago
Mahmoud, I was just beginning to enjoy the intellectual discussions till I read your contribution. Please rise above this mediocrity and give the grey matter between your ears some exercise
Mahmoud, I was just beginning to enjoy the intellectual discussions till I read your contribution. Please rise above this mediocrity and give the grey matter between your ears some exercise
Dziko Kwame 8 years ago
Onua
I am very interested to see how this will unfold.
I love the topic.
Long live Ghana
Onua
I am very interested to see how this will unfold.
I love the topic.
Long live Ghana
KKO 8 years ago
Kofi Ata,
Do you honestly believe that the nearly 50% of Ghana’s population, even by our flawed electoral system, will sit tamely for an unelected commissioner to disqualify their choice of flagbearer for Election 2016? It ... read full comment
Kofi Ata,
Do you honestly believe that the nearly 50% of Ghana’s population, even by our flawed electoral system, will sit tamely for an unelected commissioner to disqualify their choice of flagbearer for Election 2016? It is annoying enough for the NDC to smuggle Togolese, Ivorian and Burkinabe voters to impose incompetent leaders on the people of Ghana for two successive elections, but don’t count on this seemingly timid EC disqualifying anybody.
The EC can use our JCR-style constitution to disqualify local, “independent” contestants at district level elections, but I doubt if she will have the nerve to even contemplate what you are describing in your article. We have a hopelessly over-bloated electoral register which is not fit for purpose. The spineless Afari-Djan being part of that criminal enterprise never saw fit to do anything about it.
If this lady has any love for Ghana and her own self, she will be well advised to fix electoral register than any nonsense about disqualification!
Danny 8 years ago
Silly question by a shallow minded commentator! .When was the first & last time an EC boss was elected IN this country.You sometimes forget that we're not running a federal system! .
Silly question by a shallow minded commentator! .When was the first & last time an EC boss was elected IN this country.You sometimes forget that we're not running a federal system! .
KKO 8 years ago
You obviously do not have enough intelligence to understand my cooemt!
You obviously do not have enough intelligence to understand my cooemt!
osei. 8 years ago
The Cl is lifted from the local Government Act which disqualifies those exempted from paying basic rate to contest the DLE. It includes those who are 70 and above. There is no such provision in the CI on Parliamentary and Pre ... read full comment
The Cl is lifted from the local Government Act which disqualifies those exempted from paying basic rate to contest the DLE. It includes those who are 70 and above. There is no such provision in the CI on Parliamentary and Presidential elections and the Constitution.
Mensah Abrampa 8 years ago
Are you discreetly setting the stage for another court battle against Nana Akuffo Addo's 2016 presidential bid after losing out on the certificate brouhaha you created? Interestingly, you are setting yourself up for another u ... read full comment
Are you discreetly setting the stage for another court battle against Nana Akuffo Addo's 2016 presidential bid after losing out on the certificate brouhaha you created? Interestingly, you are setting yourself up for another unnecessary media attention and scrutiny which will once again leave you badly bruised. I thought you were too smart to jump into the mud hole again but I guess I'm wrong. You're just too smart by half if you can't comprehend the truth in the "Silence is Golden" saying.
Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK 8 years ago
Mensah Abrampa, I have no such powers to cause upper age limit to be included in a Ghanaian CI, let alone a Presidential Election CI. Moreover, I have never doubted Nana Akuafo-Addo as a qualified lawyer and was not the one w ... read full comment
Mensah Abrampa, I have no such powers to cause upper age limit to be included in a Ghanaian CI, let alone a Presidential Election CI. Moreover, I have never doubted Nana Akuafo-Addo as a qualified lawyer and was not the one who created his law certificate brouhaha. On the contrary, I was the one who provided documentary evidence to prove that he qualified as a lawyer in the UK. Please get your facts rights before making accusation against me. If in doubt you can check my articles on Ghana.
I was the one who ended the brouhaha on whether Nana Akufo-Addo went to Oxford or not. That had nothing to do with his law certificate and I am glad to say that since confirming that he went Oxford in 2012, no one has questioned whether he at Oxford or not. Until then, it was a perennial debate among politicians in Ghana.
I am not seeking media attention and have not sent copies of my article to media houses in Ghana apart from Ghanaweb and Modernghna.com who are only web based. I find your description of me as "too smart by half" as very unfortunate. You have the right to disagree with me but please do not call me names or insult me because I find your description of me insulting.
Nii Teiko 8 years ago
Mahama and the those incompetent ndc MPs could use their parliamentary majority to foolishly peg the age limit at 60, Nana would still contest and win the 2016 presidential race. The EC cannot do anything stupid to prevent ... read full comment
Mahama and the those incompetent ndc MPs could use their parliamentary majority to foolishly peg the age limit at 60, Nana would still contest and win the 2016 presidential race. The EC cannot do anything stupid to prevent Nana from becoming our next president. The journey to the jubilee House has already began and nothing, I mean nothing can stop the movement. Ghanaians miss the NPP and cannot wait to see the ass of Mahama kicked big time. We have vowed never to go to the Supreme Court again. The road to Kigali could be a possible option if Mahama and the EC try anything stupid this time. By the way, what does the law says about those above 70 years participating in our elections?
BOY KOFI 8 years ago
Mahama dazed Nana Addo with just one deadly blow to clinch victory in 2012 so why should anybody disqualified a weak contender?I am enjoying the thriller.Thank you.
Mahama dazed Nana Addo with just one deadly blow to clinch victory in 2012 so why should anybody disqualified a weak contender?I am enjoying the thriller.Thank you.
francis kwarteng 8 years ago
Nii Teiko wrote nothing sensible to congratulate him about, but as you are just as foolish as him, you think he wrote something wise.
You should have corrected him by telling him that Nkrumah was born, officially 21 Sept. ... read full comment
Nii Teiko wrote nothing sensible to congratulate him about, but as you are just as foolish as him, you think he wrote something wise.
You should have corrected him by telling him that Nkrumah was born, officially 21 Sept. 1909, long before the 1930s, and so his parents were certainly around by then! And he left the Gold Coast to the US in 1935, so he was overseas when the mentioned discovery was made.
Yes, Nkrumah spoke about not re-inventing the wheel and adopting and adapting the store of world knowledge we Africans had also contributed so much to; in fact, even claim origination for. Baidoo posted an article in which he attacked Prof. Lungu or so for allegedly writing that Nkrumahists must invent the wheel. In one swoop, Nkrumah's speech debunked him totally.
Btw, Francis and Prof Lungu are not retirees, but what about if they are? Is Akufo Addo you blokes want to foist on us by all means not many years passed his retirement age?
And what about if Nkrumah is dead? I just checked this a while ago and found out that Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Adam Smith, Isaac Newton, etc, etc, were long dead but there are millions fervently following their ideas at this very moment! Why should it not be same for the unsurpassed Showboy too, voted by BBC listeners as Africa's Man of the Millennium? Yeah! The greatest African in the past 1000 years! You hear that??? the Man has pot forward the solutions to Africa's problems decades ago before his death, so why should we not compulsorily learn about those solutions he offered before his death?
Only fools like you think he is dead and gone with his ideas he pieced together based on existing world knowledge during his time. Are those ideas still relevant or not? Should they be advocated or not?
methinks, when you listen to Akufo Addo, he sounds more Nkrumaist in his industrialisation plan for Ghana than the NDC. In fact, even Kufuor was more Nkrumahist in his policies than the PNDC and NDC under Rawlings. As for Mills and Mahama, I really don't know what they were/are about. It is simply foolish on your part to think that we pro-Nkrumahists write what we write in order to give cold comfort to the NDC, and not to make Nkrumah's agenda known to all and sundry. Didn't we in 2000 join in voting for Kufuor in the 2nd round in order to get a deserved change in the rulership of Ghana?
Surely, when we eventually put our house in order, the majority of Ghanaian voters, not even born when the CPP was in power, should and would have known what we stand for.
Andy-K
Nii Teiko 8 years ago
Andy K is an idiot, just as .v g you are a clinical buffoon. The date I posted, the 1930, should have been 1830. Any smart person could have noticed the lapse in my comment since Google does charge a dime from those who mak ... read full comment
Andy K is an idiot, just as .v g you are a clinical buffoon. The date I posted, the 1930, should have been 1830. Any smart person could have noticed the lapse in my comment since Google does charge a dime from those who make good use of that search engine.
francis kwarteng 8 years ago
Nii Teiko,
You wrote 1930, not 1830.
Thanks.
Nii Teiko,
You wrote 1930, not 1830.
Thanks.
francis kwarteng 8 years ago
Good one Andy-K.
These uneducated morons are abusing the privilege of a free internet forum to defecate where better people of higher mental stature and superior dignity than their parents, congregate.
If they truly bel ... read full comment
Good one Andy-K.
These uneducated morons are abusing the privilege of a free internet forum to defecate where better people of higher mental stature and superior dignity than their parents, congregate.
If they truly believe in the nonsense that they are being paid to daily pollute this platform with, under multiple monikers, I would imagine that with the kind of self-demeaning mindset that they have been cursed with, they would avoid reading and commenting on some of the politically vital subjects such as this one. Strangely however, and as shameless as they are, it seems that they rather are invariably the most regular, consistent and frequent readers and contributors to articles that are in favor of the progress of Africa. Perhaps it is their subconscience that pushes them to keep on coming back for more of the kind of 'medicine' that will once again resurrect them back into the company of human beings.
We are not befuddled nor swayed by the childish efforts of this handful of screwed up people to present themselves in a multiplicity of various monikers to give the false and asinine impression that there are many of them who are against the progress of Africa and Africans. And I wish to state emphatically that any African who stands against the likes of Kwame Nkrumah, Lumumba, Ghaddafi, Mugabe, Nasser et al, is probably in the pay of our historical oppressors, or plain stupid - or whichever way one looks at it, definitely against the progress of Africa.
The consistent vulgar impressions, willful self-inflicted ignorance and the demented substance of their contributions alone, gives their game away and exposes the evil machinations as that of just a few people. But for the fact that they are evidently of the stock of the Danquah-Busia terrorist gang, I would have conjectured that the NDC would have happily employed them to manufacture more phantom votes for the NDC for the next elections.
Their desperation has become so frantic that they now resort to female names to conceal their already multiple individual monikers in the vain, futile and silly hope that discerning people will be fooled by such school-playground antics. Now 'Nii Teiko' writes some rubbish or the other and 'he' is transmogrified into 'Bob' to congratulate 'Nii Teiko'. In his lethal cocktail of ignorance, unbridled stupidity, sheer ethnic bigotry and juvenile impetuosity, 'Bob Nii Teiko' even postulates that Kwame Nkrumahs parents had not been born in the 1930s, when he Nkrumah himself was born in 1909.
On the fair premise that two evidently daft people cannot be so unforgivably and simultaneously stupid, and therefore, it must have been the same person commenting, 'Bob Nii Teiko', turns around to congratulate 'Bob Nii Teiko' for his blissful gaffe.
Let me assure them that swimming against the tides of history is a wasted effort that can only end up in abject failure. The earlier they get their act together and realize that they are living in a muddled time warp, the better it will be for them and their childrens children yet unborn. How would they have taken it if they had grown up only to be publicly confronted with the unfortunate fact that their father, or grand-father or great-grand-father was a mere imbecile who fought on the side of our oppressors against the progress of the black race?
Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK 8 years ago
Nii Teiko, for your information Parliament does not vote on Public Election CIs from the EC so NDC cannot use their majority to include an upper age limit. CIs are laid in parliament for inspection and suggestions for amendme ... read full comment
Nii Teiko, for your information Parliament does not vote on Public Election CIs from the EC so NDC cannot use their majority to include an upper age limit. CIs are laid in parliament for inspection and suggestions for amendments, if any. That means parliament can only suggest changes, which is entirely up to the EC to accept or reject.
papa Kwabena Donkor 8 years ago
What is good for the two men disqualified is as well good for anybody in Ghana. If by 2016, any contestant above 70years of age are not disqualified, then the electoral commission must be prepared to meet me in court. Everyon ... read full comment
What is good for the two men disqualified is as well good for anybody in Ghana. If by 2016, any contestant above 70years of age are not disqualified, then the electoral commission must be prepared to meet me in court. Everyone above 70years of age should resign from contesting now or e.c. disqualified them. He who have ears listen!
Says Who 8 years ago
You sometimes find it difficult to hide your leanings. You want Nana Akuffo Addo to be disqualified. Well let me disabuse you of this notion.
It is not possible.
Why? Because there are different prerequisites and paramete ... read full comment
You sometimes find it difficult to hide your leanings. You want Nana Akuffo Addo to be disqualified. Well let me disabuse you of this notion.
It is not possible.
Why? Because there are different prerequisites and parameters given under the law for the candidates and the election of a president.
Nana Akuffo Addo qualifies within those prerequisites. In respect of the parameters, the EC cannot act ultra vires. It is not a law making body and cannot act outside the law.
What you are hoping for is not permissible under the law.
It is easy to see when you are showing your true colours because you usually depart from you normal reasoned analysis which has made you popular.
Please stay off Nana Akuffo Addo for the moment. The people have suffered enough.
Sankofa 8 years ago
Think again.
Kofi Ata is pointing to a potential trap for Nana Addo following on from the age limit set in the CI for the 2015 District Assembly elections. He posits that nothing prevents the EC from using this precedent ... read full comment
Think again.
Kofi Ata is pointing to a potential trap for Nana Addo following on from the age limit set in the CI for the 2015 District Assembly elections. He posits that nothing prevents the EC from using this precedent of the CI to insert a similar clause in the CI for the 2016 Presidential elections.
This would prevent Nana Addo from standing as a candidate for the elections, and would have political and legal ramifications.
Pointing this out can in no way be construed as wanting Nana Addo disqualified. On the contrary, Kofi Ata is doing our nation a huge favour by raising this potential politico-legal minefield now.
Says Who 8 years ago
Trust me, his interpretations of the statutes are far off the mark. There is no trap in the law for Nana Akuffo Addo.
A constitutional intrument is just a subsidiary legislation enacted for the sole purpose of maintaining ... read full comment
Trust me, his interpretations of the statutes are far off the mark. There is no trap in the law for Nana Akuffo Addo.
A constitutional intrument is just a subsidiary legislation enacted for the sole purpose of maintaining the integrity of the constitution. Any body accorded such powers cannot arrogate itself any powers outside the constitution.
The sole purpose of the powers given to the electoral commision is to accord it unhindered access to implement the stipulation of the constitutional requirement for a president. How does Mr Akuffo Addo's age create an imposition in this respect?
If the constitution does not prescribe an upper limit, a commission with limited powers cannot impose one.
There is no minefield here. The nation has become accustomed to anyone with power or influence doing what they like with impunity, it is beginning to sound as if everything they do is the law.
Bfire 8 years ago
Kofi, please can you take on article 46 mentioned in your article in relation to the call for and insisting for new voters' register by the opposition and let us know if the EC is coming under directives and control of the op ... read full comment
Kofi, please can you take on article 46 mentioned in your article in relation to the call for and insisting for new voters' register by the opposition and let us know if the EC is coming under directives and control of the opposition parties now?
Article 46 reads “Except as provided in this Constitution or in any other law not inconsistent with this Constitution, in the performance of its functions, the Electoral Commission, shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority”.
Danny 8 years ago
Ata,Kofi! ,I know you very well in Ghana as a former colleague in the army! .But sometimes you're very bias which is also not helping honesty in free speech! .
Ata,Kofi! ,I know you very well in Ghana as a former colleague in the army! .But sometimes you're very bias which is also not helping honesty in free speech! .
Kiddo 8 years ago
The seventy year age limit is the upper limit for all high level public service workers. The Chief Justice, Supreme Court judged, electoral commissioner, chraj boss etc all retire at 70. It's only our president that has no ag ... read full comment
The seventy year age limit is the upper limit for all high level public service workers. The Chief Justice, Supreme Court judged, electoral commissioner, chraj boss etc all retire at 70. It's only our president that has no age limit. I personally don't have an opinion on this issue but it might be worth discussing openly, but alas this I fear might not be possible given the rabid political climate we find ourselves in.
Akwasi Antwi 8 years ago
I am at a loss to understand the non existing 'trouble ' that your article is skewed to cause. You state that there is no upper age limit, save at the discretion of the EC. Such discretion you know can be challenged in court ... read full comment
I am at a loss to understand the non existing 'trouble ' that your article is skewed to cause. You state that there is no upper age limit, save at the discretion of the EC. Such discretion you know can be challenged in court if so desired by an injured party.
Stop manufacturing trouble Mr know it all.
Kofi,
"It appears Nana Akufo-Addo and NPP have not been paying attention to this minor but very interesting development by the EC."
Few readers at ghanaweb would challenge the claim that you provide some of the most inc ...
read full comment
Let me make it clear here,Nana Addo is the cheapest and easy to beat candidate for NDC.Nana Addo is not a threat to NDC at all that is why they have beaten him twice.NDC is very happy meeting him again.Now listen,NPP should h ...
read full comment
Contrary to what the discredited former EC Chairman said, this is another example of how elections are rigged far away from polling stations. Ghanaians must wake up because NDC is also preparing to rig the elections through t ...
read full comment
Mahmoud, I was just beginning to enjoy the intellectual discussions till I read your contribution. Please rise above this mediocrity and give the grey matter between your ears some exercise
Onua
I am very interested to see how this will unfold.
I love the topic.
Long live Ghana
Kofi Ata,
Do you honestly believe that the nearly 50% of Ghana’s population, even by our flawed electoral system, will sit tamely for an unelected commissioner to disqualify their choice of flagbearer for Election 2016? It ...
read full comment
Silly question by a shallow minded commentator! .When was the first & last time an EC boss was elected IN this country.You sometimes forget that we're not running a federal system! .
You obviously do not have enough intelligence to understand my cooemt!
The Cl is lifted from the local Government Act which disqualifies those exempted from paying basic rate to contest the DLE. It includes those who are 70 and above. There is no such provision in the CI on Parliamentary and Pre ...
read full comment
Are you discreetly setting the stage for another court battle against Nana Akuffo Addo's 2016 presidential bid after losing out on the certificate brouhaha you created? Interestingly, you are setting yourself up for another u ...
read full comment
Mensah Abrampa, I have no such powers to cause upper age limit to be included in a Ghanaian CI, let alone a Presidential Election CI. Moreover, I have never doubted Nana Akuafo-Addo as a qualified lawyer and was not the one w ...
read full comment
Mahama and the those incompetent ndc MPs could use their parliamentary majority to foolishly peg the age limit at 60, Nana would still contest and win the 2016 presidential race. The EC cannot do anything stupid to prevent ...
read full comment
Mahama dazed Nana Addo with just one deadly blow to clinch victory in 2012 so why should anybody disqualified a weak contender?I am enjoying the thriller.Thank you.
Nii Teiko wrote nothing sensible to congratulate him about, but as you are just as foolish as him, you think he wrote something wise.
You should have corrected him by telling him that Nkrumah was born, officially 21 Sept. ...
read full comment
Andy K is an idiot, just as .v g you are a clinical buffoon. The date I posted, the 1930, should have been 1830. Any smart person could have noticed the lapse in my comment since Google does charge a dime from those who mak ...
read full comment
Nii Teiko,
You wrote 1930, not 1830.
Thanks.
Good one Andy-K.
These uneducated morons are abusing the privilege of a free internet forum to defecate where better people of higher mental stature and superior dignity than their parents, congregate.
If they truly bel ...
read full comment
Nii Teiko, for your information Parliament does not vote on Public Election CIs from the EC so NDC cannot use their majority to include an upper age limit. CIs are laid in parliament for inspection and suggestions for amendme ...
read full comment
What is good for the two men disqualified is as well good for anybody in Ghana. If by 2016, any contestant above 70years of age are not disqualified, then the electoral commission must be prepared to meet me in court. Everyon ...
read full comment
You sometimes find it difficult to hide your leanings. You want Nana Akuffo Addo to be disqualified. Well let me disabuse you of this notion.
It is not possible.
Why? Because there are different prerequisites and paramete ...
read full comment
Think again.
Kofi Ata is pointing to a potential trap for Nana Addo following on from the age limit set in the CI for the 2015 District Assembly elections. He posits that nothing prevents the EC from using this precedent ...
read full comment
Trust me, his interpretations of the statutes are far off the mark. There is no trap in the law for Nana Akuffo Addo.
A constitutional intrument is just a subsidiary legislation enacted for the sole purpose of maintaining ...
read full comment
Kofi, please can you take on article 46 mentioned in your article in relation to the call for and insisting for new voters' register by the opposition and let us know if the EC is coming under directives and control of the op ...
read full comment
Ata,Kofi! ,I know you very well in Ghana as a former colleague in the army! .But sometimes you're very bias which is also not helping honesty in free speech! .
The seventy year age limit is the upper limit for all high level public service workers. The Chief Justice, Supreme Court judged, electoral commissioner, chraj boss etc all retire at 70. It's only our president that has no ag ...
read full comment
I am at a loss to understand the non existing 'trouble ' that your article is skewed to cause. You state that there is no upper age limit, save at the discretion of the EC. Such discretion you know can be challenged in court ...
read full comment