Hassan Ayariga, flagbearer of All Progressive Congress (APC), was disqualified by Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) for failing to write the name of his hometown on the forms he submitted to contest the 2016 General Elections.
According to a statement available at the commission’s website, the candidate did not provide evidence on his statutory declaration as to his hometown or residence in the constituency as per the legal requirements, hence his disqualification.
As at now, it is not clear whether he considered it unnecessary, an oversight or he just did not recall the name of his hometown during the time he was filling the forms and therefore had to leave it blank.
Aside that, it was also noted that two subscribers to Dr. Ayariga’s nominations also subscribed for another presidential candidate, a breach of Regulation 7(4) of CI 94.
“The implication is that the two subscribers are disqualified and therefore, Dr. Ayariga does not have the requisite number of subscribers under Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94”, the website said.
Dr. Ayariga, who is fond of constantly mocking the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, in his line of campaign was disqualified along with Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), People’s National Convention (PNC), Democratic People’s Party (DPP), and the Independent People’s Party (IPP).
Others included Akua’s Donkor’s Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings’ National Democratic Party (NDP), an Independent Candidate, Alfred Asiedu Kwame Walker, United Development Systems Party (UDSP) and the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD).
The Commission was unable to accept Mr. Akwasi Addai Odike, nomination forms because it has been served with court processes challenging the membership and candidature by some members of the United Progressive Party (UPP), thence restrain the EC from issuing, accepting and registering him to contest the 2016 presidential election as the flag bearer of the party, not until the matter in court has been concluded.
He and the UFP were therefore given October 14, 2016 to resolve the matter by; after which date the Commission would be unable to process the nomination.
Dr. Nasigri Mahama’s PNC, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom’s PPP, Madam Akua Donkor’s GFP, Kofi Akpaloo’s IPP, Dr. Henry Lartey’s GCPP, Kwabena Adjei’s RPD, Dr. Nana Agyenim Boateng’s UFP just as Dr. Hassan Ayariga all had their subscribers endorsing forms for other flagbearers, a situation which will subject most of them to possible forgery of signatures and perjury to the Ghana Police and the Attorney General for investigation and prosecution.
PNC, GFP, UDSP and DPP had their nomination forms improperly filled their forms and almost all subscribers on other forms had invalid voter ID numbers.
Meanwhile, the EC accepted the forms of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Dramani Mahama of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP), and Jacob Osei Yeboah, an Independent Candidate.
Kofi Akpaloo, PPP, Hassan Ayariga and other parties have vowed in separate interviews to go to court to resolve his issue, since they feel cheated.
