The Electoral Commissioner, Charlotte Osei says the Commission will press criminal charges against some voters who endorsed nomination forms for some aspiring presidential candidates.
Some 13 presidential aspirants had their nominations disqualified by the Commission for various reasons.
At a press conference Monday, October 10, the EC Chair makes clear the reasons why some candidates would not be on the ballot sheet come December 7.
At a news conference in Accra, Madam Osei said per the criteria, presidential candidates are expected to get 432 registered voters to endorse their nomination forms, and this must include two voters from every administrative district across the country.
Aspirants are also expected to submit for consideration a statutory declaration detailing their residential information as well as providing information about their running mates. The failure to follow through this process among others means a candidate stands to be disqualified.
Madam Osei cited criminal acts like deceiving a public officer and lying under oath by some electorates who endorsed forms for the aspirants.
According to her, the Commission will “refer the matter of the possible forgeries of these signatures to the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General for investigation and prosecution in line with the following sections of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29): Section 211: Perjury, Section 248: making false declaration etc. for office or voting, Section 251: Deceiving a public officer and Section 256: Corruption, intimidation and personation in respect of election.”
The Commission at a press conference explained it is unable to accept Mrs. Rawlings’ nomination because the number of subscribers to her forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94.
It said, “one subscriber on page 89 of her nomination forms is not a validly registered voter and illegally registered twice and so is on the Exclusion list of multiple voters”
Ghanaians on social media were shocked at the disqualification of Progressive People’s Party (PPP) presidential aspirant, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, who has contested in 2008 and 2012.
The commission said One subscriber Richard Aseda (‘Asida’ on the Voters’ Register), with Voter ID no 7812003957) endorsed his forms in two different districts (pages 21 and 39).
The forms, therefore, the EC said, did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94.
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