The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has sued the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana at an Accra High Court.
The motion for an order for judicial review in the nature of a certiorari and probation was filed by Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, the flagbearer of the PPP, on Thursday October 13.
Also joined to the suit as a respondent is Mrs Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the (EC).
According to the motion, the applicant is seeking the court to “restrain the respondents from proceeding with balloting for a position of presidential candidates for the 7th December, 2016”.
The applicant is also requesting the court, through his counsel, Ayikoi Otoo, to direct the EC chair to grant him the opportunity to amend and alter the one anomaly found in his nomination papers as well as accept his nomination papers as amended or altered to enable him to contest as a presidential candidate in the upcoming elections.
Dr Nduom is one of 12 presidential aspirants whose nomination has been rejected by the EC.
The EC said it was unable to accept Dr Nduom’s nomination because the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94, citing the details below:
1. One subscriber Richard Aseda (‘Asida’ on the Voters’ Register), with Voter ID no 7812003957) endorsed the forms in two different districts (pages 21 and 39).
The subscriber was found to be on the voter’s register in one district, thereby disqualifying his second subscription and reducing the total number of subscribers to below the minimum required by the law.
The same subscriber (Richard Aseda (‘Asida’) endorsed the form with different signatures in both portions of the nomination form. This raises questions as to the legitimacy of one or both signatures.
The EC said they will refer the matter of the possible forgery of the signature(s) to the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General for investigation and prosecution in line with the following sections of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29):
Section 211: Perjury
Section 248: making false declaration etc. for office or voting;
Section 251: Deceiving a public officer
Section 256: Corruption, Intimidation and personation in respect of election.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
