Monday was probably one of the worst days in the lives of some 12 presidential hopefuls of the 2016 general elections.
This happened a day after the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) manifesto launch and mammoth rally at the International Trade Fair Centre.
The 12 presidential candidates, including the Progressive People’s Party’s (PPP) Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom; National Democratic Party’s (NDP) Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and All People’s Party’s (APC) Hassan Ayariga were all disqualified by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The reasons for their disqualification were spelled out by the EC but some of the aggrieved candidates in their responses to the EC threatened court action against the commission.
Discussions about the decision which will never be forgotten in Ghana’s history books continued on Tuesday as Dr Nduom demanded a five minutes meeting with the Electoral Commissioner. The Commissioner, however, called the bluff of the disqualified aspirants after their threats of suing the EC.
With about 53 days to the general elections, it is not surprising that another big political story followed Dr Nduom’s demand.
President John Dramani Mahama questioned the cost of the cedi redenomination undertaken by President Kufuor in 2007, with NPP vice presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia then as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG).
In a response, Dr Bawumia said the request by the President was another “demonstration of incompetence.”
Then on Wednesday it emerged that a military man, Private Osei Owusu was under investigation for taking a photograph in his uniform with a Kalyppo fruit drink.
Although the investigations were over on Thursday, the Director of Communications of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col Aggrey Quarshie, would not comment on the outcome except to say that the investigations are over and Private Osei Owusu is going about his official duties.
Also on Thursday, the lawyer for the EC said his client acted within its powers by disqualifying the presidential candidate of the NDP and 11 others.
On the same day, the 2016 Presidential candidate of the PPP, pointing out errors committed by the EC on a receipt given to him for payment of GH¢1.7 million as filing fees for the party’s 170 parliamentary candidates, said the EC should pardon errors on his presidential nomination form.
On Friday, the party called on the National Peace Council and the National Chief Imam to intervene in the disqualification of the 12 presidential hopefuls.
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