The flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC) says reasons cited by the Electoral Commission (EC) for his disqualification from the upcoming presidential polls are unfounded and has threatened a court action.
Dr Hassan Ayariga said the ground that he did not properly fill his nomination form as mentioned by the EC is baseless considering he went through the same process before contesting the 2012 presidential election on the ticket of the People's National Convention (PNC).
Speaking to Joy FM Monday, the APC leader said the EC cannot make a public spectacle of him by depicting his inability to provide enough evidence about his identity after he had used his details captured on the voter’s ID provided him by the Commission.
“There is no basis for my disqualification, I think the EC herself does not know what they are doing or they are confused,” he said, adding "if the EC doesn't know my identity the court will tell you."
The EC on Monday disqualified 13 presidential candidates out of the 17 who filed their nominations to take part in the December 7 presidential race for improper filing of their nomination forms.
At a news conference in Accra, EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei says per the criteria, presidential candidates are expected to get 432 registered voters to endorse their nomination forms, and this must include two voters from every administrative district across the country.
Aspirants are also expected to submit for consideration a statutory declaration detailing their residential information as well as providing information about their running mates. The failure to follow through this process among others means a candidate stands to be disqualified.
After having examined the nomination form of Dr Ayariga, the EC Chair said she was unable to accept his form because;
"(a). The candidate did not provide evidence on his statutory declaration as to his hometown or residence in the constituency as per the legal requirements. (b). Two subscribers to Dr. Ayariga’s nominations also subscribed for another presidential candidate. This is in breach of Regulation 7(4) of CI 94.
The implication is that the two subscribers are disqualified and therefore, Dr. Ayariga does not have the requisite number of subscribers under Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94. The details of the duplicate subscribers are as follows: Abaako Issifu (page 103) Voter ID number 2988006876 PS code: J110202; Abudu Ayuba (page 95), Voter ID number 6303005554 PS code: H200201."
Mrs Osei further said the signatures provided by both voters were different on the two nomination forms they filled, arguing "This raises questions as to the legitimacy of those signatures."
She said the Commission will "refer the matter of the possible forgeries of these signatures 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 impersonation in respect of election.”
The other political parties disqualified include the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), United Progressive Party (UPP), Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), United Front Party (UFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and the Independent People’s Party (IPP).
At the end, four presidential candidates successfully went through the process namely the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP) and an independent candidate, Jacob Yeboah.
The APC leader did not understand why the Commission would disqualify him because two of his subscribers had also endorsed another presidential candidate.
"Is this enough basis to disqualify Ayariga and his party?" he asked, adding the Commission should "come again and I will listen to you."
He said he would be waiting for the letter from the Commission explaining reasons for the rejection of his nomination before heading to the court to seek redress. "Without the letter I cannot go to court," he told Joy News.
Source: Joy News
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AYARIGA MUST BE CHARGED WITH CONTEMPT. THE INSULT TO EC IN HER CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN AND THEREFORE IN LINE WITH HER WORK DUTY MUST NOT BE TAKEN DELIGHTEDLY. WHY DO WE HAVE THE COURTS. IF AYARIGA FEELS CHEATED HE MUST RESORT TO THE LAW AND SENSIBLE APPROACH AND NOT INSULT. HE WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED. TWELFTH OTHER CANDIDATES WERE AFFECTED. THE FACT THAT HE RAINED INSULT ON EC SHOWS HIS LACK OF CIVILITY. HE MUST BE TAUGHT A LESSON AND BE MADE TO PAY FOR HIS ***barred word*** CHARACTER
Hassan Ayariga must get serious for Ghana is a serious country ok. You want to rule a country yet u cant get only two people from each political district to endorse your form for you and you say you are serious. Politics in Ghana has become so cheap that Ayariga can also get up and say he wants to be president.President indeed apuuuuuuuuuu.
When your head is full of mud instead of brains, you find yourself in such situation. You were busily doing the bidding the NDC, attacking Nana Addo at every opportunity when you had forms to take round the country to solicit endorsement. You who advised the NPP to be serious was not serious after all. A joke of a politician.
Ayariga stop the noise cos the court will tell u even kalypo got a better identity than uuuu......The results of not thinking far and i think u intentionally did something to be disqualified cos u no get the cash but only mouth mouth
BREAKING NEWS, OPEN LETTER TO ALL OPPOSITION PARTIES IN GHANA, ,CHARLOTTE OSEI IS A MAD CORSICAN DICTATOR, SHE WANT TO IMPOSE MAHAMA ON GHANA PEOPLE, ALL OPPOSITION PARTIES IN GHANA MUST COME TOGETHER AND DEMONSTRATE AND GO ON STRIKE FOR ONE MONTH, ALL PARTIES IN THE COUNTRY MUST WEAR RED SHIRTS ALL OVER GHANA AND COME AND SIT AT CIRCLE FOR ONE MONTH, AFTER SEND A LETTER TO MAHAMA AND CHARLOTE OSEI FOR THEM TO RESIGN AS GHANA PEOPLE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THEM, GHANA IS ON THE PATH OF DICTATORSHIP , ALL GHANA PEOPLE MUST JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION., N,P,P, ,NDP, CP,P ,P,P,P P.N.C AND ALL WORKERS, TEACHERS, LAWYERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY MUST STOP THIS DICTATORIAL RULE IN GHANA NOW, FROM CONCERN ,PEOPLE OF GHANA,