Story By: Ishmael Barfi
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) demands an explanation from the Electoral Commission (EC) regarding the disqualification of the party’s Amenfi Central candidate, Joana Gyan Cudjoe, from the 2020 elections.
The party has described the EC’s decision as a “travesty of justice” and is calling for clarity on what it terms a “blatant miscarriage of justice.”
The EC cited an interlocutory injunction the Sekondi High Court issued for disqualifying Joana Gyan Cudjoe. This injunction prevents the EC from recognizing her as the NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Amenfi Central.
The injunction is reportedly connected to an unresolved lawsuit regarding Cudjoe’s eligibility, which prevents her from participating in the parliamentary race.
Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters in Accra on Thursday, 17th October, 2024, the party General Secretary Franklin Fifi Fiavi Kwetey reiterated that “the Electoral Commission must explain to Ghanaians how they can justify such a blatant miscarriage of justice”.
Adding “They must explain how they can disenfranchise thousands of voters based on a court order tied to an election that no longer exists. And they must be held accountable for the damage they are doing to the credibility of our electoral system.”
He further emphasized that the party will not accept the Commission’s decision and is prepared to challenge it through all available avenues, including the courts. “The NDC will not accept this decision. We will fight it in the courts, we will fight it in the public arena, and we will fight it in every forum available to us. We will not allow this abuse of power to go unchecked. The rights of our candidate, the will of the people of Amenfi Central, and the future of our democracy demand nothing less,” Mr. Kwetey added.
The NDC contends that the EC’s decision is based on an expired and irrelevant court injunction. According to the party, the injunction was tied to a May 2023 primary that became moot following a re-run of the primaries in September 2024. In these subsequent elections, Joana Gyan Cudjoe once again emerged as the NDC’s parliamentary candidate.
The party has filed an injunction at an Accra High Court to stop the EC from printing parliamentary ballot papers and notices of poll for the Amenfi Central constituency until the issue is resolved.
The NDC argues that proceeding with the printing of ballot papers without addressing the legal challenge would violate the rights of their candidate and the voters of Amenfi Central.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
