The Independent People’s Party (IPP) Presidential Candidate says his re-disqualification by the Electoral Commission (EC) from the upcoming presidential race was deliberate.
Kofi Akpaloo said he did not deserve the treatment meted to him by the Commission because he paid due diligence in the refilling of his nomination form.
“They have made their mind not to include me. I didn’t do anything wrong,” he told Raymond Acquah, host of Joy FM’s Top Story programme, Wednesday.
EC boss, Charlotte Osei has announced the disqualification of eight presidential candidates out of the earlier 13 candidates which led to the litany of court cases brought against the Commission.
The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) was the first to start the legal suit as it headed to the High Court to challenge the disqualification of its flagbearer, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom.
An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Kyei Baffuor ruled that the Commission’s decision was unfair since the economist was not granted a hearing as directed by C. I.94, the law governing the December 7 polls.
He ordered the EC to give Dr Nduom an opportunity to make corrections on his nomination form.
The Commission was displeased by the ruling and took the matter to the Supreme Court (SC) for an interpretation.
But the panel of judges who sat on the case on Monday upheld the decision of the lower court directing the EC to reopen the nomination exercise from Monday to Tuesday.
The decision by the apex court gave hope to the other political parties some of whom were at the High Court challenging the disqualification of their candidates.
After resubmitting their nomination forms on Tuesday, the EC Chair said she was unable to accept the nominations of seven presidential candidates.
They include Standard Bearers of the All People’s Congress (APC), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), United Front Party (UFP), and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
The others are leaders of the United Development System Party (UDSP), the Independent People’s Party (IPP), and two independent candidates, Ward Brew and Kwame Asiedu Walker.
This means that the presidential race would be contested by presidential candidates of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC).
The former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings who leads the National Democratic Party (NDP) also made onto the ballot this time around, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and an independent candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah.
But Mr Akpaloo said he was surprised that he could not make the list after he had met the EC Chairperson to address the issues with his nomination form.
He, however, said for the peace of the nation, he would desist from actions that would undermine the general election.
“There are so many options but for the peace of this country I will let it go and look to 2014 if we are still alive,” he said.
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