NDP issues 24-hour ultimatum to EC to reinstate Konadu

The National Democratic Party, NDP has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Electoral Commission to register its candidate, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings or face court action.
In a letter to the Electoral Commission, the party’s lawyer, Stanley Ahorlu said the Commission’s disqualification of their candidate violates public law and the principles of democratic governance.
The letter stated in part: “Clearly, our client’s constitutional and human right to compete for the high office of president of the Republic of Ghana may very well have been unlawfully and unjustly compromised by the Commission acting through its chairman, Mr. Afari-Gyan. In which case, the Commission would have, in our considered view, acted arbitrary, whimsically and capriciously to exclude our client from the political and democratic process, and in so doing may very well have excluded, disenfranchised and discouraged millions of Ghanaians from participating effectively in the upcoming elections.”
It however said that her client, Nana Konadu is open to further meetings on the development.
Stanley Ahorlu told Joy News they will go to the Human Rights Court tomorrow if the EC fails to respond favourably to their letter.
“If we do get a respond to our letter clarifying the situation, then of course we decide on what steps to take. If they don’t then of course there would be consequences.”
Stanley Ahorlu maintained that the NDP has not received any official communication from the Electoral Commission explaining why the Nana Konadu’s forms were rejected.
In a related development, the Independent Peoples Party (IPP), is also seeking an order of mandamus to compel the Electoral Commission to register their flag-bearer for this year’s elections.
Richard Lapoo, lawyer for Kofi Akpaloo the flagberer of the IPP, tells Joy News EC’s reasons for disqualifying his client is not justified.
Richard Lapoo, argues that the Commission failed to offer them an opportunity to correct their mistakes as it did to other political parties.
He was certain that his client “complied with every regulations of EC”, adding that the action of the EC to just “flip through few pages” of the IPP’s nomination forms and rejecting them was “uncalled for”.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadjo Afari Gyan says all aspirants had ample time between the 5th and 16th October to pick their forms while nominations were open on the 17th and 18th.
Dr Afari Djan told the Ghana News Agency that parties whose presidential candidates’ nominations were rejected were due to their failure to comply with the Presidential Elections Law, 1992 and Public Elections Regulations, 2012, Constitutional Instrument 75.