George Afriyie’s appeal thrown out by GFA’s Appeals Committee

The Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed George Afriyie’s disqualification from the upcoming GFA presidential elections.

Afriyie was disqualified by the Elections Committee on the grounds that he did not comply with the conditions on his nomination form, according to a decision from the Committee dated September 15, 2023.

The football administrator was accused of failing to give the requisite number of GFA members to support his candidacy earlier this month, according to the Elections Committee.

The Committee said that he used Jeffrey Asare, who was unqualified, to sign his nomination paperwork, and it was later discovered that Asare wasn’t a Director at Victory Club Warriors FC as he had claimed.

Former GFA vice president Afriyie contended in his appeal that he had six GFA members sign his form, but the Appeals Committee said only five endorsements were permitted.

He further claimed that the Committee did not follow article 8(3) of the FA regulations on elections and that there were six panel members rather than the required five during his vetting.

The Appeals Committee, however, upheld his exclusion despite the fact that the sixth member was an internal attorney who provided the Committee with administrative support rather than a member of the panel.

“George Kwasi Afriyie was properly disqualified by the Elections Committee In resolving this issue, we shall not be following the extensive grounds of appeal contained in the notice of appeal filed by Mr. George Kwasi Afriyie,” a section of the Appeal’s Committee’s ruling said.

 “The invalidity of any document submitted cannot be cured by reference to Article 8(3) of the Elections Regulations. Indeed, if Mr. George Kwasi Afriyie had submitted an invalid Tax Clearance certificate or an invalid Police Clearance certificate, it would have made his nomination invalid.

“George Kwasi Afriyie’s nomination was supported by only four members of the GFA and therefore his nomination is not valid. In the circumstances, we shall dismiss the appeal.”