The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described the decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) to disqualify its Amenfi Central candidate, Joana Gyan Cudjoe, from contesting in the 2024 election.
General Secretary of the party, Franklin Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, at a press conference in Accra Thursday, October 17, 2024, indicated that the very petition which the EC says it disqualified their candidate on is now void.
According to him, the very election the EC is basing on to disqualify their candidate is no more holding, saying her disqualification is a travesty of justice.
In his remarks, Mr. Kwetey said “despite these undeniable facts, the Electoral Commission, in an astounding display of incompetence and recklessness, has sought to disqualify Madam Joana Gyan Cudjoe.”
“Their actions are based on the premise of an expired injunction that is no longer applicable. The May 2023 election, which was the subject of that injunction, no longer exists. It was annulled and replaced by the fresh September 2024 election, which is not being contested in any court of law,” he explained.
He questioned the basis for the disqualification of the candidate.
“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.
“The NDC adhered to every legal requirement throughout this process. We
annulled the earlier election to respect the injunction, even though the court was on vacation and the matter could not be promptly addressed. We acted responsibly by holding fresh elections within the required time frame to ensure that the people of Amenfi Central would have a candidate to represent them. The Electoral Commission was involved every step of the way, and yet, today, they stand before us attempting to use an expired legal order to disqualify our
candidate,” he stated.
“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.
EC disqualifies Joana Gyan Cudjoe from contesting as NDC PC for Amenfi Central
