Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensa has said she wanted the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama to have submitted his nomination forms himself.
She revealed that this would have afforded the Commission the opportunity to have a one-on-one interaction with him on some of the issues he had raised regarding the activities undertaken by the EC ahead of this year’s elections.
The forms were submitted on behalf of Mr Mahama who is currently in Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North region campaigning, by the General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia on Wednesday October 7.
Mr Asiedu was accompanied by his deputy Peter Otokunor, and other stalwarts of the party.
The NDC officials were heard chanting and singing “Onyame Sunsum San bra’ to wit God’s Holy Spirit must act.
Receiving the forms, Mrs Mensa said “we would have wanted the former President to have submitted the forms himself ” to allow the EC to interact with him on some of the issues he had raised which have been addressed in the media.
Mr Asiedu Nektia told journalist after filing the forms that “The laws of the Commission indicated that an old register does not become extinct until a new one is finalised and certified.
“We have a situation when we are called upon to file nominations where there is a big doubt as to which register will be the base document for the filing of nominations.”
“It is unfortunate that a mature democracy like Ghana’s, we are having to go into elections as if we haven’t tasted democracy before,” he said.
By Laud Nartey