EC boss recommended my disqualification – Nduom
The presidential aspirant of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom has alleged that the Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Charlotte Osei recommended his disqualification from the 2016 presidential race.
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It was on her recommendation that the Commission decided to disqualify Dr Nduom based on an error found on his nomination forms, Nduom further alleged.
Dr Nduom made those assertions in an interview on Joy FM Thursday morning, following a meeting with the EC’s Chairperson on Wednesday.
According to him, Mrs Osei told him during the meeting that she made the recommendation but the final decision was not hers to make.
“She told us the Commission met and considered her recommendation and said reject his papers and that’s it. No communication to us, none whatsoever,” he said.
Why Dr Nduom was disqualified
Dr Nduom was disqualified on the grounds that he had failed to provide the required number of endorsements to see his nomination through.
Again, the EC said, one Richard Aseda who endorsed Dr Nduom did double endorsement, first in the Central Region and then in the Volta Region.
Meeting with the EC
Dr Nduom said at the meeting, he explained to the EC why there was a case of double endorsement on his forms.
“She listened, made some arguments and we showed her why the person they say has committed fraud that that person in our view did not commit fraud and showed her the mistake that was made.
“In the end what she said was well, she did not [decide] it was the Commission that sat and made the decision and so it would have to be the Commission that reverses anything but she sitting there she does not see any reason for her to do anything different,” he added.
“And so we thanked her. Deputy Amadu Sulley was there and he was of the same opinion. We thanked them and we left.”
Click to listen to Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom on his disqualification
{mp3}nduom_says_ec_recommended_disqualification{/mp3}
Legal action
Dr Nduom noted that he would prefer that the Commission would revert its decision to disqualify him from running for the high office of the country.
However, he noted that should the Commission fail, the party would have no option than to go to court.
“We prefer that the Commission reverses that decision but a nation thrives on law and order. An institution becomes stronger because it complies by its own law. So the Electoral Commission, if they will not take those steps or they feel too whatever to make corrective action then we have to appeal to a higher authority for that higher authority to now compel it to do what it’s supposed to do.”
