Asante Akim North lawmaker Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi has emphasized the importance of granting the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) a chance to address their disqualification from the upcoming 2024 elections.
He argued that providing a hearing aligns with the legal principle of natural justice, asserting that this does not guarantee their acceptance back into the race.
“It is fair that you respond to the legal principle of natural justice, give them a hearing. Giving them a hearing does not mean that they will scale up the hurdle,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, September 21.
In light of this, the PPP has announced plans to take legal action against the Electoral Commission (EC) due to their disqualification.
The party’s National Chair, Nana Ofori Owusu, criticized the EC for not allowing them the opportunity to present their case.
“My right has been truncated, they did not even give us a hearing,” he added.
Owusu pointed out discrepancies in the EC’s communication, noting that the reasons for disqualification given verbally by EC chair Jean Mensa differed from those outlined in the official letter. He stated that the lack of a hearing violated their rights and left them without a chance to rectify any issues.
Of the 24 candidates who filed nominations, the PPP was one of 11 disqualified by the EC, with many of the disqualified candidates being independents. The EC had previously announced that they would thoroughly assess the nomination forms to ensure compliance with legal requirements before determining eligibility for the presidential election.
“Following the successful conduct of the Filing of Nominations from the 9th of September to the 13th of September, 2024, the Commission instituted a thorough examination of the Nomination Forms submitted by the Candidates to ensure conformity with requirements as set out in law,” the press release announced.
“The Electoral Commission wishes to inform the General Public that the following persons have successfully gone through the Nomination process and qualify to contest as Candidates in the 2024 Presidential Election,” it concluded.
