EC clears Nduom, Konadu and Mahama to contest in presidential race: Ayariga, others fall

The Electoral Commission (EC) has cleared the flagbearers of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) to contest the upcoming presidential elections.

The three, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom (PPP), Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings (NDP) and Dr Edward Mahama were part of thirteen aspirants who were disqualified by the EC for various anomalies on their nomination forms which the Commission said breached some electoral laws.

But after several litigations at the Accra High Court over the disqualifications which were going the way of the disqualified flagbearers, the EC took the matter to the Supreme Court for a proper interpretation of the laws in order to bring finality to the matter.

The Supreme Court in a ruling on Monday ordered the EC to extend the nomination period by one day which ended by close of work on Tuesday with only ten of the 13 re-submitting their forms.

The EC, however, on Wednesday after going through the re-submitted forms, announced that only Dr Nduom, Mrs Rawlings and Dr Mahama were able to amend and alter their forms to meet their standards.

This left Hassan Ayariga of the All People’s Congress (APC), Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Nana Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP), Dr Henry Herbert Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Kofi Akpaloo of the Independent People’s Party (IPP), Richard Nixon Tetteh of the United Development System Party (UDSP), Thomas Nuako Ward-Brew of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and Alfred Asiedu Walker, an independent candidate, disqualified.

Two candidates, Akwasi Addae ‘Odike’ United Progressive Party (UPP) and Kwabena Adjei of the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) withdrew their nominations.