EC has no power to disqualify a person from contesting as an MP – Edudzi
by Stephen Zoure · MyNewsGh.comDirector of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe asserts that the Electoral Commission(EC) has no power to disqualify a person from contesting as a Member of Parliament(MP).
During an interview on Ghana Tonight on TV3, Edudzi Tamakloe slammed the Electoral Commission over the disqualification of Joan Gyan Cudjoe, the Amenfi Central Parliamentary Candidate of the National Democratic Congress(NDC).
“The Electoral Commission is deeply in error. We sent a letter to the Electoral Commission and in that letter, we have communicated our disapproval with what they have put out.”
“The Electoral Commission cannot disqualify a person from being elected as a Member of Parliament. That does not lie in their ban,” he said.
In the late hours of yesterday, there was a report that Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Amenfi Central Constituency, was disqualified from running in the 2024 parliamentary elections by the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
This ruling comes after the High Court in Sekondi issued an Order for Interlocutory Injunction on May 31, 2024, in the matter of Gyedu Frimpong & 4 Others vs. Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the NDC, and the Electoral Commission.
Until the dispute is resolved definitively, Joana Gyan Cudjoe is not permitted to present herself as the legitimately elected NDC parliamentary candidate for Amenfi Central, per the court ruling.
It is also forbidden for the Electoral Commission (EC) and the NDC to acknowledge her as the candidate or grant her any rights or benefits.
In a letter dated October 10, 2024, Deputy Chairman of Operations, Samuel Tettey, informed Gyan Cudjoe of her disqualification, stating that the Commission is bound by the court order, which has neither been stayed nor vacated.
Cudjoe was barred by the Sekondi High Court in May from claiming to be the party’s parliamentary candidate in the constituency.
This decision stemmed from allegations that she forged her voter ID and NDC party card.
Joana Cudjoe, the NDC, and the Electoral Commission were sued by five applicants: Gyedu Frimpong, Akubilla Daniel, Enock Ntiamoh, Isaac Twum, and Doris Aidoo.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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