By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The chairperson of Ghana’s electoral management body, Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa, says her outfit is fully prepared to face any legal challenges from any of the aspirants disqualified from contesting the 2024 presidential elections.
Defending the Commission’s decision to disqualify about 10 presidential aspirants from contesting in the upcoming December 7 presidential polls, the EC Chairperson maintained the affected presidential aspirants did not meet the criteria set out.
On September 20, 2024 the EC disqualified 11 presidential candidates, including the presidential hopefuls of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), and People’s National Convention (PNC), for failing to meet the necessary requirements.
After the announcement by the Commission, two of the 11 disqualified aspirants, who are dissatisfied with the electoral management stance – PPP’s Kofi Siaw Asamoah, and the PNC’s Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, have taken legal action against the EC.
The two are seeking the court to overturn the EC’s decision and compel the Commission to reinstate them on the ballot.
The Commission’s Chairperson during her initial statement at an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held yesterday Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra emphasized that the Commission thoroughly vetted all nomination forms before making its decision.
“You come again to nominations as I said. It was an open process. There was fairness. Committees were set up. And there are reports that have been provided based on the committee’s work. The process is transparent. A few have taken us to court. And we will prove to the citizenry and the people of Ghana that the process is transparent and fair. The EC has nothing to hide and it has no intention to stop anybody’s presidential ambitions,” Mrs Jean Mensa told the gathering.