The legal team representing Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Amenfi Central, has formally appealed against her disqualification by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The appeal follows the EC’s decision to disqualify Cudjoe based on a pending interlocutory injunction.
In a letter dated October 15 and signed by Ayine and Associates, Cudjoe’s lawyers argued that her disqualification was unlawful, stressing that she was duly elected as the NDC candidate for the constituency in full compliance with the party’s regulations.
“We write as lawyers for and on behalf of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Joana Gyan Cudjoe, who is the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the Amenfi Central Consistency for the 2024 Parliamentary Elections (hereinafter called ‘our clients’), on whose instructions we write to you in respect of the above subject matter,” the letter stated.
The controversy surrounding Cudjoe’s candidacy arose when the EC ruled against her, citing the interlocutory injunction as grounds for her disqualification. However, her legal team argues that this decision lacks merit, as she has the full backing of the NDC and followed all proper election procedures.
Her legal representatives emphasized that the EC’s actions infringe upon Cudjoe’s rights and disrupt the democratic process within the party. They further argued that any legal matters regarding her candidacy should be resolved without penalizing her as the election date approaches.
The lawyers highlighted the petition filed on September 13, 2024, which the EC used to justify the disqualification. The petition, followed by a letter on September 24, claimed there was an injunction restraining Cudjoe from holding herself out as the duly elected NDC candidate for the Amenfi Central constituency.
Despite these claims, Cudjoe’s team maintains that the EC’s ruling is baseless, insisting that she was properly elected and should be allowed to participate in the upcoming December 7 elections.