Akufo-Addo won’t declare asset – NPP

The presidential nominee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not bounded by the directive by the Electoral Commission (EC) to presidential and parliamentary candidates to declare their assets as a qualification criterion to contest in the forthcoming general election, John Boadu, the acting General Secretary of the NPP has said.

Owing to Mr. Boadu’s explanation, Nana Akufo-Addo Thursday submitted his presidential forms to the Commission without the required asset declaration.

The EC in a statement Wednesday urged the candidates to take the “contents of the statutory declarations seriously, understanding the full legal implications of the admissions made under oath.”

The statement added that “candidates are to take note of the requirement to declare their asset to the Auditor-General in order to meet the eligibility criteria.”

Speaking on Morning Starr Thursday, Mr. Boadu said the assets declaration directive is bogus and that the flag bearer of the NPP is not bounded by it.

He said Akufo-Addo will submit his presidential form to the EC today [Thursday] without the assets declaration form demanded by the EC. He said the assets declaration law is binding only on public officers.

He continued that apart from the fact that the directive is only related to public officers, the law “they quoted on which presidential candidates should sign has been repealed.”

“So, it is not applicable,” said Mr. Boadu.

He said Akufo-Addo will file his tax returns but not asset declaration and same applies to parliamentary candidates of the party because they are not public officers.

True to the words of Mr. Boadu, Akufo-Addo submitted his forms to the chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, without the declaration forms.

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) is “extremely surprised the EC is still quoting a law which has been repealed,” its Director of Communications, Paa Kow Ackon told Morning Starr Host, Nii Arday Clegg Snr Thursday.

He said the presidential nominee of the PPP, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom will only submit his forms to the EC without the assets declaration form since the law governing that is a “dead” one.

“In fact, if you even take CI94 there is nowhere in that law which says that you must submit all the things that the EC is demanding for,” said Mr. Ackon stressing the PPP’s flag bearer is not under any compulsion to submit to the EC an asset declaration form before participating in the forthcoming elections.

The EC, according to Benard Mornah is “overly excited to impose conditions” on actors and participants in Ghana’s democratic process.

Speaking on Morning Starr Thursday, he said the new directive is not necessary, explaining the law demands asset declaration from public officers not aspiring public officers.