The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised concerns over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) disqualification of its duly elected parliamentary candidate for the Amenfi Central Constituency, Joana Gyan Cudjoe.
According to the party, the EC’s decision is legally baseless and a direct affront to Ghana’s democratic principles.
Briefing the press at the NDC’s Headquarters on Thursday, October 17, the General Secretary of the party, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, criticised the EC for disqualifying its candidate based on what he described as an expired and irrelevant interlocutory injunction related to a completely different election.
Mr Kwetey explained that the September 8 election, conducted according to party rules and guidelines between the incumbent Member of Parliament, Peter Kwakye-Ackah, and Madam Cudjoe, was held after the annulment of the May 13, 2023 election of which the EC itself supervised it.
He emphasised that the process was transparent and that Madam Cudjoe was declared the parliamentary candidate without any protest or objection from other contenders.
“The September 2024 election rendered the May 2023 election null and void. It effectively reset the clock. The interlocutory injunction tied to the May election became legally moot.
“The new election, conducted under fresh circumstances, was a legitimate process, fully compliant with the laws of Ghana, and with no legal challenge against it,” he said.
Despite these facts, Mr Kwetey criticised the EC for its ‘incompetence and recklessness’ in disqualifying Madam Cudjoe based on an expired injunction, stressing that the injunction no longer held legal relevance.
“So, we ask the Electoral Commission: on what basis are you disqualifying Madam Joana Gyan Cudjoe? On what legal grounds do you justify this decision? Are you so blinded by partisanship that you would invoke a court order tied to an annulled election in an attempt to block a legitimate candidate? This is not only legally unsound but deeply dangerous for the future of our democracy,” he said.
Mr Kwetey said that the NDC followed every legal requirement throughout the process, including annulling the earlier election to respect the injunction, despite the court being on vacation and the matter not being immediately resolved.
“This is nothing short of a travesty of justice. It is a violation of the rights of our candidate and, more importantly, a violation of the rights of the people of Amenfi Central, who have made their voices heard through their votes. The decision to disqualify Joana Gyan Cudjoe is legally baseless, morally indefensible, and a slap in the face of our democratic principles,” he added.
Source: myjoyonline.com
