For being the first presidential nominee to
submit his forms to Electoral Commission, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flag
bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), believes he will naturally be declared
winner of the December 7 presidential poll.While submitting his forms on
Thursday September 29, he told EC Chair Mrs Charlotte Osei that: "Since I'm the
first to file my forms, by God’s grace I will be the first person you'll declare
[winner].”
Nana Akufo-Addo’s form was received by Mrs Osei. However, the
Commission refused to accept the GHS50,000 banker’s draft that his team attached
to the form because the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) had sued the EC over
the filing fee. Class News’ Kwesi Parker-Williams reported from the EC’s office
that the EC would in same fashion decline the GHS50,000 banker’s draft of all
the other presidential nominees so as not to be in contempt of court.
The
PPP sued the election management body a few weeks ago in an attempt to have the
court force it to review the presidential nomination fee.
The PPP is
seeking a declaration that Regulation 45 of C.I. 94 is discriminatory,
arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable. “That the entire C.I. 94 does not
contain the appropriate relevant provisions that meet the intendment of Article
296 of the 1992 Constitution.”
The other reliefs sought include: “A
declaration that the proper instrument within the meaning of the relevant laws
of the Republic of Ghana, in charging a deposit or fees for conducting a
presidential or parliamentary election, by the Electoral Commission, is a
statutory instrument and not constitutional instrument.” “An order directed at
the defendants to desist from collecting and or receiving the said deposit or
fees for the conduct of the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections until
the appropriate statutory instruments have been passed in accordance with
appropriate legal rights.”
So far 23 nominees, including seven
independent aspirants have picked forms to run for the presidency. They are to
start filing their nominations between today and Friday September
30. |
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