The Electoral Commission (EC) today [Monday], disqualified as many as thirteen presidential aspirants from contesting in the 2016 elections.
The disqualified aspirants include Hassan Ayariga’s All People’s Congress (APC), the People’s National Convention’s (PNC) Dr. Edward Mahama, the Progressive People’s Party’s (PPP) Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, and other presidential aspirants from contesting in the December elections.
The EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, who made the announcement at a news conference, said those disqualified failed to meet the necessary requirements, hence their ineligibility to contest.
Find below the different reasons for which each of the aspirants were disqualified.
RECEIPT OF NOMINATIONS FOR 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
The Commission may disqualify a candidate if one of these requirements is not met. For instance:
Prior to the close of nominations on the 29th and 30th September, candidates whose nomination forms had obvious errors and who submitted early enough, were called by the officers of the Commission and given the opportunity to correct obvious errors or omissions on their nomination forms. The Law permits such corrections only within the nomination period hence our earlier call on candidates to submit as early as possible.
Following the receipt of nomination forms last week, and the payment of filing fees earlier today, the EC is now in a position to announce candidates whose nominations have been accepted by the Electoral Commission having met the afore stated requirements.
The Commission is unable to accept Dr. Ayariga’s nomination for the following reason:
Voter ID number 2988006876
PS code: J110202
Voter ID number 6303005554
PS code: H200201
In addition, the signatures of both voters are different on the two nomination forms. This raises questions as to the legitimacy of those signatures.
We 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 personation in respect of election
The Commission is unable to accept Dr. Mahama’s nomination for the following reasons:
Voter ID number 2988006876
PS code: J110202
Voter ID number 6303005554
PS code: H200201
As stated earlier, the signatures of both voters are different on the two nomination forms. This raises questions as to the legitimacy of those signatures.
We 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 personation in respect of election
It is important to point out that a simple tick does not satisfy the requirements of the law for where a mark is made in lieu of a signature or thumb print.
A mark in law is “an X made by a person who is illiterate or too weak to sign his/her full name.” According to the Free Law Dictionary, “On the rare occasion that this occurs, the “X” should be within or next to2 `1 a notation” indicating the person’s name or formally witnessed by another person to make the mark valid. Accordingly, the Commission is unable to accept mere ticks, which have not been properly, witnessed as legitimate marks made by voters subscribing to Dr. Mahama’s forms.
In conclusion, Dr. Mahama does not have the requisite number of subscribers required under Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94 and his nomination cannot therefore be accepted.
The Commission is unable to accept Dr. Boateng’s nomination because the number of his subscribers do not meet the minimum required under Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94.
The details are as follows:
Further, the Subscriber has different signatures on both candidates’ nominations raising questions as to the legitimacy of the signature on both forms.
Voter ID no: 1270013632
Polling station code: D091201
Voter ID no: 1270012857
Polling station code: D091201
Voter ID no: 3703013114
Polling station code: F310202
We 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 personation in respect of election
The Commission is unable to accept Mr. Akpaloo’s nomination because the number of subscribers to Mr. Akpaloo’s forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94. The details are as follows:
These are:
Voter ID no: 1270013632
Polling station code: D091201
Voter ID no: 1270012857
Polling station code: D091201
Voter ID no: 3703013114
Polling station code: F310202
We 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 personation in respect of election.
The Commission is unable to accept Mr. Adjei’s nomination because the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94. The details are as follows:
Two subscribers to Mr. Adjei’s forms are not registered voters as they are on the Exclusion List for multiple registrations. Details are:
We also call on the Ghana Police Service to investigate the named individuals for the electoral offence.
The Commission is 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. The details are as follows:
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.
We 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.
The Commission is unable to accept Dr. Lartey’s nomination because the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94. The details are as follows:
Further, the said subscriber has different signatures on both candidates’ nominations raising questions as to the legitimacy of both signatures.
We 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 personation in respect of election.
The Commission is unable to accept Mr. Tetteh’s nomination because the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94.
The nomination forms were improperly filled and almost all subscribers to Mr. Tetteh’s forms have invalid voter ID numbers.
The candidate did not also pay the filing fee within the stipulated timeline.
The Commission is unable to accept Mrs. Rawlings’ nomination because the number of subscribers to her forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94.
District: Nanumba South
Voter ID no: 6617004814 (28.3.2012)
Voter ID no: 2126900022 (04.8.2014).
The Commission is unable to accept Mr. Ward-Brew’s nomination for the following reasons:
Details as follows-
Voter ID no; 3462001504
Voter ID no: 3462002159
Page 10: Thumbprints for even headmasters and teachers and Researchers and pastors (page 74).
vii. The candidate did not also pay the filing fee within the stipulated timeline.
We 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 personation in respect of election.
The Commission is unable to accept Mr. Walker’s nomination for the following reasons:
The Commission is unable to accept Madam Donkor’s nomination for the following reasons:
The Commission has been served with court processes challenging the membership and candidacy of Mr. Akwasi Addai Odike by some members of the United Progressive Party. The processes seek to restrain the Electoral Commission from issuing, accepting and registering Mr. Odike to contest the 2016 presidential election as the flag bearer of the UFP.
The Commission is therefore unable to accept Mr. Odike’s nomination forms until the matter in court has been concluded. We hope that Mr. Odike and the UPP would resolve the matter by October 14, 2016; after which date the Commission would be unable to process the nomination.
Accepted Nominations
The following nominations have been accepted by the Electoral Commission (in order of submission):
–citifm