The presidential candidate of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) may be disqualified for choosing a vice presidential candidate who is below 40 years, some persons have argued.
The female politician, Madam Akua Donkor settled on a 32-year-old farmer, Mrs Patricia Asante as her running mate for the 2016 general elections.
Article 62 of the 1992 constitution states that : A person shall not be qualified for election as the President of Ghana unless – (a) he is a citizen of Ghana by birth; (b) he has attained the age of forty years; and (c) he is a person who is otherwise qualified to be elected a Member of Parliament, except that the disqualifications set out in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of clause (2) of article 94 of this Constitution shall not be removed, in respect of any such person, by a presidential pardon or by the lapse of time as provided for in clause (5) of that article.
Clause three (3) of the constitution states that, ”The provisions of article 62 of this Constitution apply to a candidate for election as Vice-President.”
Per the provision of the constitution, it is vividly stated that, the candidate for the position of the second gentleman of the land should have attained the age of forty years, however the vice presidential nominee for Madam Akua Donkor is below the required age.
But speaking in an exclusive interview with Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5fm, Mrs. Asante said, she was not perturbed about the constitutional requirement and will surely partner Akua Donkor towards victory 2016. The vice nominee described herself as an astute farmer and a resident of Kwaaman in the Ashanti region. According to her, although she is unlettered, she can still do the job.
She said, ”Madam Akua Donkor is unlettered and that is why she chose me to partner her. She understands the plight of the uneducated. She believes that, it was time for us [unlettered] to take over the governance of this country.”
When asked if she had never had a formal education, she said, i dropped out of school when i got to junior high school stage two.
Mrs. Patricia Asante noted that, her husband has given her the green light to partner the leader of GFP.
In an answer to what policies and programmes they have for Ghanaians, she said, President Mahama has done extremely well and they will build on what President Mahama has achieved. The GFP she added, will focus on agriculture and education to bridge the gap between the elite and non-educated.
Mrs. Asante answering a question from the host that, they may be disqualified because her age said, ”don’t say that. You cannot say that. Don’t say that they will reject us. Don’t say that, the Electoral Commission (EC) will disqualify us because of my age.”
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