Founder of Hezekiah Apostolic Prayer Ministry, Apostle Kwabena Owusu Adjei has offered himself up for lynching if a prophesy about former President John Dramani Mahama wining the 2024 elections.
Apostle Owusu Adjei in his declaration indicated that the former President will win the elections hands down if he chooses one Leslie Tamakloe as his running mate.
Speaking at a press conference, he said: “My name is Apostle Kwabena Owusu Adjei and I am advertising my God, the God of Bethel; Genesis 31:13, it says, ‘I am the God of Bethel.’
“I am saying these are the words of the God of Bethel. His excellency John Dramani Mahama, correct your mistakes from 2020, go to the Volta Region, choose Leslie Mensah Tamakloe as your running mate, you will win hands down. NDC, you have the opportunity and the possibility to rule for 30 good years,” he stated.
It was during these remarks that Apostle Mensah said he would offer himself to be lynched if the NDC wins the election without naming Leslie Tamakloe as running mate.
“If his Excellency John Dramani Mahama refuses and goes for any other candidate apart from Leslie Mensah Tamakloe born on the 18th of April, 1957 and wins this election, I Apostle Kwabena Owusu Adjei I am offering my body to be lynched by the NDC foot soldiers and grassroot supporters.
“We will meet at former Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange-Dubai. Bring all your cameras, call me guilty, whatever they want to do to me; they can stone me, lash me, whatever. I said I offer myself because I am so confident in my God that there is no turning back,” he stated.
The Apostle went on to state that he will still put himself up to be lynched if the NDC fails to win the election after heeding to the directive of his prophecy.
Former President Mahama’s second attempt at winning Ghana’s presidency after losing the 2016 election will come off in the December polls in a contest that is set to have him and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, New Patriotic Party flagbearer as frontrunners.
Both leading candidates have yet to name their running mates with months left to the election.
The Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong, has asserted that a significant number of politicians in Ghana are resorting to spiritual violence as a means to secure victory in elections.
During an interview with Adom FM, he expressed the view that those engaging in such practices are collectively responsible for contributing to bloodshed.
Additionally, he issued a warning to politicians, advising against actions that lead to the loss of lives during elections.
Rev. Dr. Frimpong emphasized that politicians should prioritize serving the people rather than engaging in destructive behaviors.
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“When you become a Member of Parliament or president, you come in with the intention to serve. Why should your decision to lead and develop us result in the death of people. After killing them, which people will benefit from your development, if they are all dead?” he questioned.
The former General Secretary of the Christian Council questioned the rationale behind politicians resorting to violence and bloodshed in their quest for electoral victory.
He challenged the mindset of politicians, emphasizing that their decision to lead and bring about development should not result in the death of citizens.
Rev. Dr. Frimpong highlighted a specific incident in Techiman where six voters lost their lives during the 2020 elections.
“You went to Techiman for the voters to vote for you into office for which you will develop the place. But the people you intend to develop, died before the development came to them.
“So, what benefit did the party member who died during elections get from your development?” he quizzed.
He urged politicians to value the lives of the people and encouraged them to seek peaceful and democratic means to resolve differences.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) convened an Extraordinary Constituency Delegates Conference on Sunday, January 21, 2024, to officially endorse unopposed Aspiring Parliamentary Candidates.
In adherence to Article 7(31) of the NPP’s constitution, delegates in Tolon enthusiastically rallied behind Habib Iddrisu for a second term in Parliament, endorsing him through popular acclamation at the Sari Conference Hall in the Northern Region.
Tolon Electoral Commission (EC) District Officer, Ben Teye, oversaw the event, where thousands of delegates voiced their unanimous support for the incumbent parliamentary candidate.
During the proceedings, as the EC Officer asked for confirmation of support for Honorable Habib Iddrisu, the crowd resoundingly exclaimed “I” in a show of unity.
Frank Annor Dompreh, the incumbent MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and Majority Chief Whip, lauded Tolon’s legislator as a valuable asset, attributing significant parliamentary achievements to his contributions. Dompreh emphasized the importance of unity among constituency executives for success.
Describing the day as a demonstration of unity and togetherness in Tolon, the MP for Tolon and second deputy majority chief whip urged all constituency executives to unite for success, citing their aim to win every polling station in the upcoming elections.
He expressed gratitude for the constituents’ confidence, allowing him to go unopposed in the internal parliamentary contest, and urged delegates to secure a resounding victory for the NPP presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in the 2024 elections.
Similarly, Karaga, Gushegu, Bimbila, and Tatale-Sanguli in the Northern Region also confirmed their parliamentary candidates during events held within their respective constituencies.
A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has argued against the advisability of the Electoral Commission accommodating the Seventh Day Adventist Church’s request to change the date for the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, he contends that agreeing to such a change could set a precedent for similar requests in the future.
He emphasizes the constitutional guarantee of the free expression of religion in Ghana, coupled with the acknowledgment that the country is a secular state.
Prof. Gyampo expressed concern that altering the election date based on religious preferences might project one religious group’s beliefs over others, potentially leading to a series of similar requests.
“With the greatest of respect to them, Ghana is our constitution that guarantees the free expression of our religion. At the same time, the constitution says we are a secular state. And so if it is a secular state, people have the right to exercise their religion, but this must not be exercised in a manner that sort of projects their religious beliefs and faith and ideals over those of the other people who also have different religious beliefs and faith and ideals.”
“So the point is that given that it is a secular state any day is fine. Otherwise, if we allow this tomorrow if election day is on Friday, Muslims will tell us that, well, they go to the mosque on Friday and go, we shouldn’t. If it falls on Sunday, you have a ponderance, majority of Ghanaians being Christian, they may say that it is going to disturb the day selected to worship their God.”
Asserting that any day is suitable in a secular state, he cautions against allowing religious beliefs to dictate election dates.
He provided examples of potential future scenarios where different religious groups might request changes based on their respective holy days, leading to confusion and factionalism in the political landscape.
“So long as the fundamental laws of the land says you’re a secular country, we should be careful not to allow all religious beliefs and sects to also come in making pleas and demands.”
“Today it is SDA if it is granted, tomorrow it will be Harikrishnas, Muslims, Christians and it creates a state of confusion and a state of factionalism in the body politics. It’s not something that we should encourage.”
Prof. Gyampo acknowledges that voting is a national duty but argues for the importance of individuals having the choice to prioritize their religious obligations over voting.
He underscored the need to be cautious about allowing various religious beliefs and sects to make pleas and demands, as it could lead to a divisive and confused political environment.
The context for this discussion arises from the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s request to move the 2024 December 7 election date, falling on a Saturday, to a different day due to Sabbath conflicts.
The church proposes the first or second Tuesday as a more convenient alternative to uphold inclusive democracy. Additionally, they are pursuing a constitutional amendment to broaden the scope of organizing parliamentary and presidential elections in Ghana.
More than 2300 delegates from the National Democratic Congress have commenced the voting process to select a Parliamentary Candidate for the Odododiodioo constituency in the Greater Accra Region.
This follows the rejection of an interlocutory injunction application filed by disqualified candidate Michael Nii Yarboi Anan, which initially led to the party’s indefinite postponement of the election.
Paul Nii Oblie Laryea, the Chairman of the NDC in the Odododiodioo Constituency, confirmed in an interview with Citi News that the voting process was progressing smoothly.
In a statement issued on Friday, Fifi Fiavi Kwettey, the General Secretary of the NDC, revealed that on January 19, an Accra High Court dismissed the application for an interlocutory injunction. Consequently, the party has resumed the processes leading to the parliamentary election in Odododiodioo.
Background:
In November 2023, the Functional Executive Committee of the NDC disqualified Michael Nii Yarboi Annan from participating in the parliamentary election in the Odododiodioo Constituency.
The party’s report from last year clarified that the special committee established by the Functional Executive Committee found justifications for Mr. Annan’s disqualification based on Article 41(8)(b) of the NDC Constitution.
This article specifies that a member must be an active party member at the constituency level for the four years immediately preceding the date of filing nominations.
Due to a court injunction obtained by the disqualified candidate, the party indefinitely postponed the primary in the Odododiodioo constituency. However, following the court’s dismissal, the party has now given clearance for the primary to proceed.
The Second Deputy Whip of the Minority Caucus in Parliament, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, has cautioned traditional leaders against participating in sod-cutting ceremonies organized by the Akufo-Addo government within their regions this year.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ada constituency expressed skepticism about projects initiated during an election year, deeming them as potential scams due to the government’s historical inability to bring such initiatives to completion.
Following an engagement with traditional leaders in Dodowa, Accra, she emphasized the need for Ghanaians to exercise caution when presented with seemingly beneficial infrastructural developments during election seasons.
“Nobody should believe any government cutting sod in an election, and no chief should worry his head by putting on his beautiful kente cloth following any president in an election year who is about to exit power to sit and cut sod for projects; they are just scamming them.”
“We should not focus on Jean Mensa; let us focus on the branch, which is where you get the win and so protect that ballot in your branch and shine and open your eyes when it is time to do the calculation of the ballots and make sure they do the right calculation. If you take your eyes off your polling station, that is where they will scam you and steal the elections, and when it gets to Jean Mensa, whatever they brought to her is what she puts together, so protect your ballot at the polling station.”
In her statements to journalists, she urged citizens not to put their trust in any government embarking on sod-cutting activities in an election year.
She particularly discouraged chiefs from participating in such ceremonies, characterizing them as deceptive tactics employed by presidents who are about to leave office.
Madam Cudjoe went on to address supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), urging them to be vigilant and protective of their votes at polling stations to prevent any attempts at rigging.
She emphasized the importance of focusing on the local level, advising supporters to safeguard their ballots within their respective branches.
According to her, the key to securing a victory lies in ensuring the correct calculation of ballots at the branch level, as taking one’s eyes off the polling station could potentially lead to electoral fraud.
She also underscored the significance of scrutinizing the electoral process at the grassroots level before it reaches the attention of officials like Jean Mensa, who, in her view, simply consolidates the results provided to her.
Taiwanese people voted for William Lai to be their president in a very important election. This shows that Taiwan is going in a different direction from China.
Beijing is probably going to be upset because they think Mr Lai causes problems with his beliefs about independence.
China says that it controls Taiwan, even though Taiwan governs itself. While it wants the two sides to come together peacefully, it’s also willing to use force if necessary.
It said the Taiwan election was about choosing between “war and peace”.
Beijing’s government doesn’t like Mr Lai’s DPP party, which has been in charge of Taiwan for eight years. China has increased its military around the island, making people more worried about a possible fight.
Mr Lai won his party a third term in the presidency, which has never happened before. In his first comments after his opponents admitted defeat, he indicated that this was a path that could not be changed.
The country will keep moving in the right direction. “We won’t focus on the past,” he told the journalists in a press conference.
Later, Lai spoke to a large crowd in Taipei and said that his win was a victory for democracy.
“We did it. ” We didn’t allow outside forces to impact our election. “Because we decided that only we can pick our president,” he said. Before the election, Taiwan said that China tried to meddle in the voting.
But Mr Lai also had something to say to China.
He told reporters that he prefers talking and exchanging ideas instead of causing problems and fighting, and he wants peace and stability with Beijing.
In the past, Mr Lai said he wanted Taiwan to be separate from China, which made China very upset. But now he says if he becomes president, he won’t try to make it happen.
Mr Lai got 40% of the vote, which is more than Hou Yu-ih from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party. Since 2000, Taiwan has switched back and forth between the DPP and the KMT, which is more friendly towards Beijing.
Newcomer politician Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People’s Party, who is liked by young voters, got 25% of the vote.
On Saturday, people picked their lawmakers. According to Taiwanese media, the DPP no longer has the most seats in parliament. The opposition is growing stronger, but no single party has enough seats to control the parliament.
Some people think that if the opposition party controls the legislature and the DPP president is in charge, it could make governing Taiwan more difficult.
Some young individuals in the Ketu North Constituency of the Volta Region, purportedly affiliated with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), have defected to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Their decision is attributed to dissatisfaction with the perceived ineffectiveness of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government. The group officially declared their switch on January 11, 2024.
Among them are former NPP executives in the region, expressing their inability to continue endorsing what they view as a faltering administration.
In an interview with Citi News, Bernard Akpabli Agbeli, a former youth organizer of the NPP in the area, stated that these youths have pledged their support for the NDC and its presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama.
“Already, I have declared my total support for John Mahama and the NDC. We will campaign for them, and we will make sure that we win the presidential and will form the majority in the parliamentary election. I was the polling station youth organiser, formerly polling station organiser; I was constituency youth organiser as well.”
“So I’ve served this party [NPP] for about 27 years now. Everybody knows me very well in the Volta Region here, and the leadership of the party in the region also knows me; they know how hard-working I am. This government is not ruling us well. So it is because of that I took this decision,” he said.
Police in Congo surrounded the home of Moïse Katumbi, who is a big politician in the opposition. This happened after the elections last month.
On Monday, his spokesperson Hervé Diakesse said he couldn’t leave his home in southern Katanga province.
But the police and soldiers went away because a governor in the area told them to.
Mr Katumbi said that President Tshisekedi‘s big win in last month’s election is not real.
Five other leaders who didn’t win the election are planning a protest march with Martin Fayulu.
On Monday night, people from Kashobwe village went to Mr. Katumbi’s house after hearing that the security forces were not letting him leave. Videos of this were posted on social media.
“We are having a hard time understanding why,” Mr. Diakesse said to Reuters news agency.
Provincial governor Jacques Kyabula Katwe ordered the security forces to leave to calm down the crisis. He called the incident a mistake.
“Security forces wanted to protect Mr. Katumbi’s property from possible damage. ”
The December 20 election had a lot of problems with how things were organized. Some people who watched the election were worried about how it was done.
Just one person went to court to argue about who won the election for president.
The most important people say they don’t trust the courts. Instead, they want people to resist election fraud without saying how.
Mr Tshisekedi got the most votes, almost 73%. Mr Katumbi got 18% and Mr Fayulu got 5%. This information was released by the election commission.
Western governments are asking people to be calm and not fight after the election. The UN’s top human rights official, Volker Turk, is worried about growing tension between different ethnic groups.
Almost 20 people were killed in violence leading up to the election.
One of the people running to be president in Congo doesn’t think the current president should have won again, so they are asking to have the election looked at again.
Théodore Ngoy got the fewest votes in the election, and he is the only one asking for the presidential results to be canceled.
He submitted the request to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday, just before the two-day deadline.
Mr Ngoy, who is a lawyer and a pastor, also tried to become the president in 2018 but he didn’t win.
He said to the French RFI news website that he wanted the fake election results announced by the country’s electoral commission, Ceni, cancelled.
The court has one week to look at the request and make a decision.
The two main candidates who did not win, Moïse Katumbi and Martin Fayulu, said they will not go to court to argue the election results, but they want people to protest against them.
The Constitutional Court will tell us the final results on 12 January.
The president got about 73% of the votes in the December 20th election, but there were a lot of problems with organizing it.
The esteemed founder and presidential candidate of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has emerged as a staunch advocate for authentic youth inclusivity within Ghana’s political landscape.
In an enlightening interview conducted on Happy98.9 FM’s “Fact Sheet” with Reynolds Agyeman, he articulated a visionary perspective on engaging the younger generation.
Declaring a fundamental principle, Mr Ayariga emphasized, “We need to challenge the youth to see the hope in themselves,” shedding light on his unique approach to engaging the younger generation.
This departure from conventional political discourse underscores his unique approach to youth engagement, prioritizing the cultivation of a positive outlook.
Mr Ayariga’s viewpoint goes beyond the typical political promises of job creation for the youth.
He asserted, “It’s not about winning the youth and promising them jobs. It’s about tasking them to become productive for our country and to see the hope in themselves.”
This nuanced stance aims to inspire the youth to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development, fostering a sense of self-reliance and optimism.
The APC leader underscored the pivotal role of active youth involvement in the process of societal change, citing it as the linchpin for effectiveness.
He emphasized, “When you want to change people, the first thing is to involve them in the process of change. When you involve the youth of Ghana in the process of change, it will be effective.”
Mr Ayariga candidly addressed the prevalent disconnection in political engagement with the youth, stating, “But all the time the political parties don’t engage them.”
His criticism targeted the prevalent practice of political parties merely interacting with young people during election periods to secure votes, characterizing it as a utilitarian approach devoid of genuine commitment.
Highlighting the APC’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders, he challenged traditional political tactics. He lamented, “They merely use it as a means of obtaining votes,” emphasizing the need for sustained and authentic engagement beyond the election cycle.
In essence, Hassan Ayariga’s visionary outlook extends beyond conventional political rhetoric, seeking to empower the youth not just as voters but as active participants in the transformative processes shaping the future of Ghana.
Former President John Mahama has affirmed his dedication to remunerate Assembly Members once elected into office.
The former President, who exercised his civic duty by casting his vote at the Bole District Assembly polling station, emphasized the collective responsibility to contribute to the improvement of Ghana’s decentralization system.
In a tweet, Mahama addressed the elected Assembly Members nationwide, urging them to play an active role in refining the decentralization framework.
“I remain committed, when voted as the President of Ghana in 2024, to begin paying allowances to all Assembly Members to help them carry out their duties,” he declared.
The visionary pledge reflects Mahama’s dedication to fostering local development and ensuring that Assembly Members are adequately supported in their responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Eastern Region has raised concerns about the handling of the District Assembly elections by the Electoral Commission (EC).
“I exercised my civic responsibility as a Ghanaian by voting in Tuesday’s district-level elections at the Bole District Assembly polling station.
“Congratulations to all who participated in the exercise. And to our newly elected Assembly Members across the country, let me remind you that we all have a responsibility to contribute and ensure that we get our decentralization right,” Mr. Mahama stated.
He continued: “I remain committed, when voted as the President of Ghana in 2024, to begin paying allowances to all Assembly Members to help them carry out their duties. Together, we shall build our local economies and make them work 24 hours to generate well-paying jobs.”
The NDC’s Eastern Regional Secretary, Jamal Konneh, expressed dissatisfaction, citing information indicating that a significant number of districts in the region might not have conducted their elections as planned.
The party fears that unfavorable decisions by the EC could have a ripple effect on the 2024 elections.
In a press release, Konneh highlighted the disruptive challenges faced during the elections, particularly in the New Juaben South Municipality.
The late arrival of voting materials and subsequent calls off the elections raised frustrations among voters, with many leaving polling stations in disappointment.
The NDC emphasized that such issues should be addressed promptly to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
“Although this election is not partisan, we are stakeholders in elections, and whatever bad decision the EC takes may have a trickle-down effect on the 2024 elections.
“According to our intel, only 16 districts out of the 33 districts in the Eastern Region may have their elections today. This means that 17 districts or more are not going to have their elections today,” the Eastern regional secretary of the NDC, Jamal Konneh stated in press release.
On Wednesday, 44 million people will cast their votes to choose the next president of the Democratic Republic of Congo from a pool of 19 candidates, seemingly indicative of a thriving democracy. However, challenges such as insecurity and logistical issues in various regions paint a different picture.
The Democratic Republic of Congo boasts extensive cobalt reserves, a crucial component of many lithium batteries essential for a fossil fuel-free future. The outcome of this election could play a significant role in enhancing stability and ensuring the safe extraction of this valuable resource for the benefit of the Congolese people.
President Félix Tshisekedi seeks a second term, facing opposition from wealthy mining magnate Moïse Katumbi and former oil executive Martin Fayulu. Fayulu contends that he won the 2018 election, a result questioned by international observers.
The peaceful transfer of power after the 2018 election, a historic first for the country, generated optimism about a positive turning point in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history.”
In this election, there is a single round of voting, and the candidate with the highest number of votes will emerge as the winner. The considerable number of challengers to Mr. Tshisekedi might work to his advantage, potentially dividing opposition support.
Voters are not only selecting the next president but also parliamentary, provincial, and municipal representatives, totaling approximately 100,000 candidates in this expansive country that spans about 2,000 km (1,400 miles) from west to east.
To facilitate the distribution of voting materials to over 175,000 polling booths, the electoral commission has sought assistance from UN peacekeepers.
In the lead-up to the polls, insecurity has been a predominant concern in the eastern regions. Numerous armed groups have vied for control over various parts of the region.
Voting suspended
Despite the presence of a UN peacekeeping force, an East African regional force, and Congolese soldiers, violence persists, leading to the displacement of approximately seven million people from their homes.
Many of these individuals have been unable to register to vote, with the registration process criticized as chaotic.
In certain areas, voting will not occur due to ongoing rebel activity. The enduring insecurity in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu has become a prominent campaign issue, with presidential candidates making ambitious promises to bring an end to it.
The prevalence of political violence leading up to the polls has also raised significant concerns.
On the eve of the vote, the European Union said it was worried about “the hate speech, violence and incidents that have marked the last few days”. There have been some deadly incidents, causing Mr Katumbi to briefly suspend his campaign.
Polls opened at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT in Goma; 05:00 GMT in Kinshasa) and voting is due to continue for 11 hours. The electoral commission is expected to announce provisional results on 31 December.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has rescheduled the district-level elections in select electoral areas in the Ashanti and Eastern Regions, citing technical challenges with the printing of ballots by the EC’s contractors.
As reported by JoyNews in the Ashanti region, districts such as Bantama, South Sontreso, Atwima Nwabiagya, Atwima Mponua, Dadeso, and Santasi will not participate in the current exercise due to delays in the delivery of voting materials by the Electoral Commission.
In a statement signed by the Acting Head of Public Relations for the EC, Michael Boadu, the affected areas are now scheduled to partake in the elections on Thursday, December 21, 2023.
The overall exercise was anticipated to cover 6,215 electoral areas across 216 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies, excluding the Nkoranza North and South in the Bono East Region.
With over 66,000 individuals competing for District Assembly and Unit Committee positions in the District Level Elections, the EC’s data reveals 18,755 assembly member candidates and 47,502 unit committee member candidates, totaling 66,257 candidates.
Among the assembly candidates, 17,474 are males (94%), while females are 1,106 (6%). For unit committee candidates, 40,923 are males (88%), and females are 5,413 (11.6%).
Despite the increased number of candidates compared to previous years, voter enthusiasm remains low, consistent with the historical trend of voter apathy in the District Level Elections since its inception in 1988. Data shows varying voter turnout percentages over the years, with a notable decline in participation in some periods.
Furthermore, the participation of women in these elections has been consistently low, presenting a challenge to achieving balanced representation.
Five individuals from the Duta Electoral Area in Ketu South have submitted an interim injunction seeking to prevent the Electoral Commission (EC) from holding the upcoming District Level Elections in the region.
The ex parte motion specifically bars the EC, its agents, and employees from any involvement in the organization of the District Level Elections in the Duta Electoral Area on December 19, 2023.
This order remains in effect for ten (10) days.
The petitioners further extend the injunction to include all 24 candidates and registered voters in the Duta Electoral Area.
The petitioners stated, “We also filed a Motion Exparte for an interim injunction to restrain the Electoral Commission from having anything to do with the conduct of the District Level Elections in the Duta Electoral Area on the 19th day of December 2023.”
The High Court in Ho, under the authority of His Lordship Yaw Owoahene–Acheampong, has generously approved the Motion Exparte, restraining the Electoral Commission, its agents, employees, etc., from participating in the District Level Elections in the Duta Electoral Area on the 19th day of December 2023.
This order is valid for ten (10) days.
DISTRICT-LEVEL ELECTIONS IN THE DUTA ELECTORAL AREA INJUNCTED
1. This is to inform the general public, especially all registered voters in Duta Electoral Area, all citizens of Duta at home and abroad and all residents within the Duta Electoral Area that we have successfully filed a Petition against the Electoral Commission and some four candidates in the District Level Elections in the Duta Electoral Area.
2. We also filed a Motion Exparte for an interim injunction to restrain the Electoral Commission from having anything to do with the conduct of the District Level Elections in the Duta Electoral Area on the 19th day of December 2023.
3. The High Court, Ho presided over by His Lordship Yaw Owoahene –Acheampong graciously granted the Motion Exparte and restrained the Electoral Commission, its assigns, workmen, etc. from having anything to do with the conduct of the District Level Elections in the Duta Electoral Area on the 19th day of December, 2023. The Order shall be valid for ten (10) days.
4. We humbly write to notify the general public especially all the Twenty – Four (24) candidates, and all registered voters in the Duta Electoral Area that the District Level Elections in the area have been injuncted.
5. We serve notice and notice is hereby served that there will be NO Assembly member and Unit Committee member elections in the Duta Electoral Area on Tuesday 19th day of December 2023.
5. We are deeply sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
6. It is in the interest of the sovereignty of Ghana, the integrity and sanctity of public elections in Ghana and the collective interest of the DUTA ELECTORAL AREA.
7. Please bear with us.
Dated 18th day of December 2023.
MARCUS AGBORBIA for and on behalf of the Petitioners. 0243211572
The incumbent assembly member for Kumawu Dadease in the Sekyere Kumawu District of the Ashanti Region, Kofi Adade, has highlighted his accomplishments as he seeks re-election in the upcoming 2023 district assembly elections on December 19.
During his tenure since 2019, Adade outlined that, with the assistance of DCE Samuel Addai Agyakum and lawyer Edward Osei Kofi, he has facilitated the provision of five different types of mechanized drinking water for Kumawu Dadease.
Additionally, he converted a bole hole into mechanized potable water, bringing the total to six.
Despite facing challenges, including the impact of COVID-19, Adade emphasized that his achievements showcase his commitment to the community.
He urged the people of Dadease to vote for him in recognition of the positive contributions he has made since assuming the role of Assembly Member.
“Since 2019 when I became the Assembly Member, I have provided five different mechanised drinking water for Kumawu Dadease through his DCE Samuel Addai Agyakum and converted one bole whole to mechanised potable water with the help of lawyer Edward Osei Kofi to make it 6.”
“That should tell you that I’m a blessing to this community, even though when I came, COVID destroyed and made things difficult, and even with that, look at what I have been able to do with limited resources.”The people in Dadease should vote for me massively as their way of thanking me for the good works I have done since I became the Assembly Member in 2019,” Kofi Adade said on Rainbow Radio Accra.
In anticipation of the 2024 election, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged President Akufo-Addo to allay his concerns by bringing criminal charges against those responsible for the killing of eight citizens during the 2020 election.
The NDC is demanding that the government take action regarding the eight citizens who were killed during the 2024 election, according to a statement made by Kakra Essamuah, the NDC’s director of communications.
“It is even more baffling that even though this incident is the first of its kind since the advent of the 4th Republic in 1992, yet none of the personalities or institutions named above finds it expedient to commiserate with the bereaved families, offer compensation, or even take strenuous steps to employ the law to punish the offenders.
“The recent comments on matters of security in the impending 2024 General Elections from the President and the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission is a reflection of their apprehension towards the said election. These fears can be erased or wiped off only if we investigate and prosecute the people behind the gruesome murder of the 8 innocent citizens,” Mr. Essamuah stated.
Below is the full statement from the NDC
NDC STATEMENT DEMANDING ACTION ON THE 3RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE MURDER OF EIGHT (8) GHANAIANS IN THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTIONS.
In the immediate aftermath of the General Elections in 2020, eight (8) Ghanaians were shot dead by security forces who were called in to provide law and order. Since this dastardly event took place in various constituencies throughout the country on 8th December 2020, the government has done little or nothing by way of identifying the perpetrators and prosecuting them to set an example as a deterrent.
Even worse, neither the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr. Mahmud Bawumia, nor the New Patriotic Party as the governing party, has seen it fit to express their revulsion against the mindless spilling of blood by members of the security agencies.
It is even more baffling that even though this incident is the first of its kind since the advent of the 4th Republic in 1992, yet none of the personalities or institutions named above finds it expedient to commiserate with the bereaved families, offer compensation, or even take strenuous steps to employ the law to punish the offenders.
The recent comments on matters of security in the impending 2024 General Elections from the President and the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission is a reflection of their apprehension towards the said election. These fears can be erased or wiped off only if we investigate and prosecute the people behind the gruesome murder of the 8 innocent citizens.
On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of this ignoble event, leadership and membership of the National Democratic Congress take note of the continued abandonment of the duty of the Akufo-Addo government to bring the perpetrators to book, whilst proclaiming that when the people of Ghana return the NDC led by H.E. John Mahama to power in a year’s time, the investigation, prosecution and the punishment of those responsible for what happened on 8th December, 2020, shall be an immediate and prime focus of the new government.
The NDC is demanding an urgent and purposeful investigation into this matter and a swift and decisive prosecution to serve as a deterrent to other elements in our society for whom the spilling of the blood of innocent Ghanaians is a stepping stone for them to achieve power.
ISSUED IN ACCRA THIS 8TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2023 ( KAKRA ESSAMUAH esq) DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Geert Wilders, a politician from the Netherlands who is against the European Union and has extreme views, won a big election. Now he is going to try to find other politicians to work with him. This is going to have a big impact on the Netherlands and Europe.
A supporter of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Wilders wants to stop all immigration, reduce money given to the EU, and prevent any new countries from joining, including Ukraine.
His Freedom Party (PVV) won 37 out of 150 seats in the election, which is more than the Labour/Green group with 25 seats and the conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) with 24 seats.
The Rutte time is over because right-wing people rebel and cause big changes in The Hague. The PVV had a big win in the election on Wednesday, more than anyone expected, according to the Dutch newspaper NRC.
The Freedom Party, VVD, and NSC party, led by Pieter Omtzigt, together would have 81 seats. This makes them a strong group, but it could still take a long time for them to agree on working together.
None of the other groups he could work with to run the country agree with his thoughts on the EU.
“I believe we can make a deal,” Wilders said in his speech after winning on Wednesday night. “We want to rule and we will rule. ”
Wilders won two months after Robert Fico, who is also against the EU, came back into power in Slovakia. Fico has promised to stop giving military help to Ukraine and reduce immigration.
Last year, Italy made a more conservative government than it has had since World War Two. Giorgia Meloni won the election.
“The winds of change have arrived. Congratulations to Geert Wilders for winning the Dutch elections,” Orban said Wednesday night.
In France, the extreme right was also very happy.
“Marine Le Pen said that there are people who want to keep the hope for change in Europe alive, so the national torch doesn’t go out. ”
Wilders thinks that the Netherlands should not give weapons to Ukraine because he believes Ukraine needs the weapons to protect itself.
“We need to find ways to meet the expectations of our voters and make the Dutch people proud again. ” “Wilders said, ‘1. ‘”
After winning, he said “the Netherlands will be given back to the Dutch, and we will control the number of asylum seekers and immigrants coming into the country. ”
Wilders and his party have never been part of the government, but they supported Rutte’s first coalition government about ten years ago.
Islamic and Moroccan groups are worried about Wilders winning. 5 out of every 100 people are Muslims.
“The distress and fear are huge,” said Habib el Kaddouri, who leads a group that represents Moroccans in the Netherlands, to the Dutch news agency ANP. “We are worried that he will show us as not as important as others. ”
Now, everyone will be watching to see if Wilders’ potential government partners, who had concerns about working with him before, are now less vocal about their doubts after he won the election.
“We are ready to lead,” said Omtzigt from the NSC party. “This is a hard result. ” We will talk on Thursday about how we can help the most.
Dilan Yesilgoz, the leader of the VVD party, said earlier this week that her party wouldn’t be in a government led by Wilders. She said now it’s up to the winner to prove they can get the most votes.
“We can’t be in charge,” she said.
Both sides are going to have a meeting on Thursday to talk about what to do next. On Friday, the leaders of the parties will meet to choose someone who is not a politician to learn about what the parties want in coalition talks.
Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei Asare has emphasized that proactive measures have been implemented to uphold fiscal discipline in 2024. She stated that the government is committed to avoiding excessive spending during the upcoming election.
This response comes in light of concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament, who feared that the government might exceed its budget in 2024 to fulfill unexpected campaign promises associated with the elections. The Minority cited available records indicating a 17 percent budget deficit in 2020 attributed to election-related spending.
John Jinapor, the Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu, expressed these concerns.
“You said that you have a track record in election year expenditure. For the records, in 2016, go and read the updated data; the deficit was about 6 percent.
|”Mr. Speaker, I refer to the IMF-Ghana decision May 2023 documents; I refer to page 36, table 2 (A). In 2020, under your regime, election year, your deficit was a whopping 17 percent. It has never happened; no country has that deficit of 17 percent.”
But responding in her debate on the budget presentation, the Deputy Finance Minister “In the past, governments have used election year as auctioning periods, engaging in all kinds of projects to win votes. But this government is committing itself to strong fiscal consolidation and efficient management of existing commitments, in order not to derail the hard-won stability that we are witnessing.”
“Government is not initiating new commercial loan funded projects. Government has also put in an amount of money in the budget to clear their arrears so that we can complete existing projects,” the Deputy Finance Minister said.
Madagascar’s current President, Andry Rajoelina, is winning by a lot in the election that happened last Thursday. Some parties refused to participate in the election. They have counted votes from 37% of the polling stations by Sunday evening.
President Rajoelina is winning with 62. 4%, followed by Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko with 12. 2% and former president Marc Ravalomanana with 11. 2%
Some people who dropped out of the presidential race say that fewer people voted because they told voters not to participate in the election.
“The elections in Madagascar didn’t meet the democratic standards because the participation rate was the lowest in the country’s history,” said opposition politician Hajo Andrianainarivelo after the vote on Thursday.
Before the election, there was a lot of confusion and disorder. 10 out of 12 opposition presidential candidates refused to participate in the election because they couldn’t stop Mr. Rajoelina from running for president due to his dual French citizenship.
The Supreme Court of Ghana has dismissed a case brought by Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie, the editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, against former President John Dramani Mahama, challenging his eligibility to run for president.
The court remarked that Ken Kuranchie needs to acquire mastery and learn the legal trade beneath his feet.
Earlier, in June 2023, the editor filed a lawsuit against the former president, seeking a declaration on the proper interpretation of Article 66(1) of the 1992 Constitution, specifying the presidential term as four years.
Kuranchie argued that based on the interpretation of Article 62, a former president is not qualified to seek re-election. He urged the court to prevent John Mahama from pursuing his presidential ambition.
On September 25, 2023, he submitted a motion to the Supreme Court, stating that John Mahama sought an order to dismiss Kuranchie’s writ, filed on June 12, 2023, citing technicalities.
However, in a ruling on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the Supreme Court rejected the suit, affirming that former President John Dramani Mahama is eligible to run in the 2024 General Elections.
Just in: The Supreme Court has admonished Editor of the Daily Searchlights Newspaper Ken Kuranchie to find a master and learn his legal trade under his feet after his writ against former President John Dramani Mahama was struck out as being “defective.”
The Supreme Court in Nigeria has started to listen to the opposition’s argument about the presidential election outcome from February 2023.
Bola Tinubu won the poll, but his opponents, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, want the country’s highest court to change the decision made by the Election Petition Court, which confirmed Mr Tinubu’s win.
The legal problem could make things worse and keep dividing the country based on political parties.
It might take a couple of weeks for the seven judges on the Supreme Court panel to make a decision on the issue.
If the higher court agrees with the lower court’s decision, this would be consistent with what has happened before in elections in Africa’s most populated country. In the past, there has never been a situation where the result of a presidential election has been changed.
However, Abubakar has stated that he will provide the court with additional proof regarding the controversy surrounding the president’s alleged use of a fake educational certificate as evidence of his eligibility.
However, Tinubu is against the introduction of new evidence.
He is asking the court to not allow his opponent to give more evidence for their new claim.
The Election Petition Court said that the opposition candidates could not show that there were problems with the election.
The judges said that the people who started the petition were not able to show evidence for their argument that there was too much voting and that some voters were stopped from voting.
In Liberia’s presidential election, President George Weah and opposition candidate Joseph Boakai are in a tightly contested race.
With nearly three-quarters of the vote results now available, Mr. Weah holds a slim lead at 43.8%, while Mr. Boakai follows closely at 43.5%.
These results were announced by Liberia’s National Elections Commission on Sunday, with outcomes from 4,295 of the country’s 5,890 polling places released by that point.
At the same time, the West African regional bloc Ecowas cautioned against the premature declaration of victories and urged all parties to maintain peace as they awaited the final results.
Ecowas emphasized that any actions leading to violence and instability would be subject to accountability.
President Weah is seeking re-election for a second term, while Mr. Boakai, who finished second in the previous elections, previously served as deputy to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
It is important to note that the winning candidate must secure at least 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election.
On October 10, Liberians cast their votes in the presidential election, as well as for members of the House of Representatives and half the Senate.
Poland’s parliamentary election is underway, with the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) government vying for a third term while facing off against an opposition led by former prime minister and European Council president, Donald Tusk.
Pre-election polls indicate a tightly contested race, where the ability to form a government may hinge on smaller parties’ results. Both sides frame the vote as vital for Poland’s future.
PiS, which has governed for eight years, has made significant changes, including controlling public television, limiting abortion rights, and targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, migrants, and refugees. They have also clashed with the European Union over rule of law issues, leading to frozen European funding.
PiS’s campaign plays on populism, emphasizing their ability to protect Poland from a perceived refugee “invasion.” They have consistently criticized Tusk as a foreign puppet. Jarosław Kaczyński, PiS’s leader, framed the election as a choice between Polish governance or foreign influence from Berlin or Brussels.
Long lines formed in Warsaw, where the opposition holds strong support, while PiS’s base is in smaller towns and rural areas. In the Wola district, opposition voters expressed confidence in their chances of unseating PiS.
“I saw a lot of young people, more than four or eight years ago, which makes me optimistic,” said Pawel, 46, who had voted for Tusk’s Civic Coalition. At the same polling station Maciej, 78, said the stereotype that older people supported PiS was not true. “There are plenty of us who know how to think,” he said, tapping his forehead.
In the Gocław district, Grażyna, aged 77, cast her vote for PiS, believing it to be the “fairest” among all parties. She expressed hope that PiS would continue improving Poland, following a 20-minute wait in line.
In addition to the election, the government is conducting a referendum with four key questions, two of which pertain to migration. One question queries people’s agreement with “the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa.”
The referendum is seen as a means to increase PiS’s voter turnout and potentially bypass electoral funding restrictions. The opposition has advised its supporters to request only an election ballot and abstain from the referendum, which requires a 50% turnout to be valid.
The final election outcome may hinge on the performance of three smaller political groupings. The left-wing Lewica and center-right Third Way are expected to form a coalition with Tusk’s Civic Coalition, provided they can collectively secure the 231 seats required for a majority in the lower house of parliament.
During election campaigns, voters in democratic countries will often hear that their nation is at a crucial turning point.
But right now in Poland, the old saying about elections being predictable is very true.
The European Union’s fifth-largest country will have an important election on Sunday, October 15. The outcome of this election will have a significant impact on the EU, Ukraine, and the United States.
In simple terms, the upcoming vote next weekend could allow the ruling Law and Justice party to stay in power for a third term. Critics are concerned that this could result in significant changes to the country’s institutions, which may not support liberal principles.
However, the election is very close. A group of parties against the current government has a real chance of winning, but if the outcome is uncertain, it could give an opportunity for the far right to benefit.
Here is the information you should know.
Poland is having an election on October 15 to choose its new parliament. PiS, the party currently in power with the help of some smaller populist parties, wants to win for the third time in a row and become the next government. A group of moderate parties, led by Donald Tusk, who used to be Poland’s prime minister and the former president of the European Council, are against it.
With only a few days left in the campaign, there are still many different results that could happen.
Surveys show that the PiS party is slightly ahead of Tusk’s Civic Coalition in the polls. However, this lead is not significant, which means that it is unlikely for any group to win a complete majority in Poland’s lower house, the Sejm. If that happens, it would begin a series of discussions for several days after the vote, where the main party will try to form a group of parties to work together and be in charge.
People are wondering if the Confederation, a small far-right party, would join forces with PiS if they have a lot of power after the election. The leaders of the Confederation have said that they don’t want to make any agreements.
In Polish politics, people have always fought with each other and attacked each other personally. But no matter how you look at it, this year’s campaign has been very mean.
PiS, a political party, has been accused of blaming migrants and LGBTQ people in order to create conflict before past elections. They have continuously tried to depict Tusk as a pawn of Brussels and Berlin. The government started an investigation earlier this year called “Russian influence” which caused a lot of disagreement both in our country and overseas. Many people thought it was an attempt to unfairly go after the opposition leader.
Public media, which is mostly influenced by PiS, has been echoing many of the same ideas. Tusk is trying to fight against corruption and authoritarianism in Poland and sees his run as the only opportunity to save the country.
Jacek Kucharczyk, the president of the Institute of Public Affairs in Warsaw, said to CNN that people are overreacting and being very scared, thinking that this situation will ruin Poland.
The prime minister responded to Zelensky’s insults towards Poles by saying that he should never insult them again.
Both sides in this clash have different descriptions of what is good and evil. One side believes in things like democracy, the rule of law, and Western values. The other side believes in things like nationalism, Catholicism, and sovereignty. That’s what Kucharczyk said.
Many voters have been most worried about high prices and the difficulty of affording basic needs. Also, concerns about safety have been important during the campaign. Last month, there were reports that Polish officials were accused of being part of a scandal where money was exchanged for visas. This has made it difficult for PiS lawmakers to show that they are strong in protecting the country’s borders. Poland has changed a lot.
Poland has recently become less liberal under the rule of PiS for the past eight years. Because of this, the country has lost support from western nations who used to look up to it as a model of democracy after the Soviet era. This has led to increased tensions before the upcoming vote next week.
People who don’t agree with the government say that if they get a third term, they will have more control over the courts, the media, democratic organizations, and the rights of women and minority groups.
Kucharczyk said to CNN that the upcoming election is seen as the final opportunity to stop the decline of democracy, using democratic methods. The worry is that if PiS stays in charge for four more years, they will further develop the authoritarian system they have been creating for the past eight years.
The ruling party has made big changes to the judiciary system, allowing the government to have more control over who gets important roles. In June, the highest court of the EU said that Poland’s changes to its legal system were against the laws of the alliance. They told Poland to make changes or pay a lot of money.
Piotr Buras, leader of the ECFR in Warsaw, said it was a huge change for the institution. “This is a significant change towards a non-democratic government while pretending to be democratic. ”
PiS said their changes were necessary to update Poland’s institutions and remove judges previously appointed during the time when Poland was ruled by communists. But the people who disagree with the party say that it is trying to be like Hungary, which has been criticized for becoming more controlling and powerful, just like Brussels.
According to Buras, something very unusual may happen in European democracy after this election. It could be an attempt to undo or lessen the influence of liberalism.
“Once upon a time, Poland was the top student in the class compared to other countries in the EU,” explained Kucharczyk. He was talking about the period after the Soviet era when Warsaw rapidly developed as a successful, young democracy with a thriving free-market system.
However, there have been significant changes over the last ten years. Poland has been stuck in a prolonged conflict with the European Union. Brussels has stopped giving money and sued Warsaw because they are trying to make the law and courts less strong and independent. In response, Poland’s government has been attacking the institution, while saying that Polish freedom is more important than working with other countries.
“The ruling party is becoming more unfriendly towards the EU and has been having worse relationships with their neighbors, particularly Germany,” said Dariusz Stola, a historian at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in an interview with CNN.
However, Poland still has a strong and influential position in Europe. The outcome of this month’s vote has the potential to significantly change the current situation. Poland joined the EU in 2004 and most Polish people still really like being a part of it. The opposition has picked Tusk, who is a very important person in European politics, to lead their campaign.
Poland received a lot of unexpected support and goodwill in Europe for how it reacted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Moscow’s aggressive actions have proven that Poland’s long-standing concerns about Russia’s intentions and Europe’s dependence on Russian energy were actually valid. In the past, these concerns were often dismissed in the West as outdated complaints from a previous time.
This month’s election will help decide if Warsaw wants to improve its relationship with Brussels and take a major role in dealing with Russia, or if the ongoing disagreement between the two sides gets worse.
“Poland is an important country in Europe. It shares a border with Ukraine, has a large army, spends a lot of money on its military, and plays a crucial role in supporting Ukraine,” explained Stola. “What occurs in Poland in the next few years will have a big impact on all of Europe. ”
Kyiv and Washington are keeping an eye on
Poland’s election is important to both its neighbors in the west and the east. The relationship between Warsaw and Kyiv has become more tense recently.
“According to Buras, Poland’s moral superiority in foreign policy over the past year and a half has been based on their support for Ukraine. ” Right now, the picture has big problems.
The Polish government has been speaking strongly and openly against Ukraine. They are concerned about Ukrainian grain being imported into Poland, which they believe will harm Polish farmers. The government is also upset about Ukraine getting weapons from Western countries and trying to join NATO and the EU.
This year, old anger and resentment over a mass killing by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II have come up again. This has added to the existing tensions that had calmed down after Russia invaded.
A new party called the Confederation has been causing a change. They don’t like that Ukraine refugees in Poland are getting money to help them. This year, the group has received more support in the areas where PiS is popular in the countryside. As a result, government officials have started talking more harshly towards Kyiv.
Kucharczyk said that one possible result could be a partnership between PiS and Confederation, which would have negative effects on Polish-Ukrainian relations.
It is hard to think of a situation where Poland stops Western weapons going through its land to Ukraine, and Poland’s strong disagreement with Russia will always be an important part of how it sees the world.
However, experts warn that the relationship between Warsaw and Kyiv could worsen if Warsaw reduces its financial and military assistance after the election.
“Poland really wants to help Ukraine a lot,” Kucharczyk said. “But the harm caused during the election campaign will persist, leading Ukrainians to increasingly seek support from Berlin and Washington, rather than Warsaw. ”
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has urged members of the Tertiary Students’ Confederacy (TESCON) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to collaborate with the party’s grassroots to ensure victory for the NPP in the December 2024 elections.
He emphasized that achieving the goal of ‘Breaking The Eight’ is attainable but necessitates unwavering commitment and hard work from all members, underpinned by loyalty, service, and sacrifice.
The minister, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Damongo, delivered these remarks during the second Greater Accra Regional TESCON Boot Camp, held at the Accra College of Education on Saturday, September 16, 2023.
The primary objective of the boot camp, dedicated to the late Kwabena Boadu, a former aide to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was to equip TESCON executives in the Greater Accra Region to effectively fulfill their responsibilities.
Speaking on the theme ‘Loyalty, Sacrifice, and Service: Expectations of TESCON in Delivering Victory 2024,” Samuel Abu Jinapor said that adhering to these cardinal principles is crucial to securing victory in the next election.
He emphasized the importance of duty, sacrifice, and commitment to the NPP as well as to the growth and development of the nation.
The minister emphasized to the audience that the NPP was founded on these tried-and-true values, and that party founders like Dr. J. B. Danquah, Chief S. D. Dombo, Dr. K. A. Busia, and Okyeame Bafour Akoto lived by these values even at the cost of their own imprisonment, exile, and deaths.
Kwabena Boadu was praised for the sacrifices he made to help the party win in 2016 and TESCON members were urged to follow in his footsteps.
“Today, KB is no more. It is our turn to continue from where KB left off and ensure that the victory he helped us secure is maintained and the NPP is retained in power to continue with its developmental agenda for the benefit of the people of Ghana,” he said.
Samuel Abu Jinapor emphasized that the NPP’s developmental agenda is unparalleled by any other political party in the country.
He cited several key initiatives such as the introduction of Free SHS, the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the National Identification Programme, and the National Digitalisation Agenda as evidence of the NPP’s commitment to development.
Despite recent economic challenges, he noted that the NPP government has established a strong foundation that can propel the nation’s development forward.
He expressed the belief that if the next government, which he expects will be led by the NPP, builds upon this foundation, it will enjoy long-lasting success due to the positive impact on the citizens.
Jinapor asserted that a victory for the NPP in 2024 is the most effective means to enhance the country’s human capital, improve healthcare accessibility for Ghanaians, and unleash prosperity for the masses.
He called on all party members to work together in unity to secure victory for the NPP and “advance the nation’s development in freedom.”
Furthermore, he stressed that the NPP serves as the binding force that unites its members, and he urged everyone not to allow any individual to sow division within the party.
Jinapor also encouraged TESCON members and all party supporters to exert their collective efforts to achieve the goal of “Breaking the Eight,” expressing the need for unity to confront the NDC in the 2024 elections.
Labour Party’s nominee for president, Peter Obi, vowed on Wednesday to appeal the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and to continue seeking justice.
Obi made this statement in response to the five-person panel’s decision, which supported President Bola Tinubu’s victory and was led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, on Thursday during a press conference in Onitsha, Anambra state.
Obi said, “Yesterday, 6 September 2023, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) finally delivered its long-awaited judgments on the Petitions challenging the outcome of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023. This judgment was delivered within the statutory time frame under the extant statutes. We acknowledge the Court’s contributions to due process and the seeming attempt to strengthen our democracy.
“As petitioners in this case, we respect the views and rulings of the Court, but we disagree with the Court’s reasoning and conclusions in the judgment it delivered. It is my intention as a presidential candidate and the intention of the Labour Party to challenge this judgment by way of appeal immediately, as allowed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The PEPC has rendered its judgment, but that esteemed body is not the final arbiter. The responsibility now falls on the Supreme Court. I do know that judgment is not coterminous with justice. I implore Nigerians to remain focused, steadfast, and peaceful; abide by the rule of law, and understand that this matter has not reached its logical conclusion.
“Our legal team has already received our firm instruction to file an appeal against the decision. I shall not relent in the quest for justice, not necessarily for myself but indeed for our teeming supporters all over the country whose mandate to us at the polls was regrettably truncated by INEC.
“The strength and value of our democracy reside in solid national institutions and our confidence in them. Electoral litigations will be almost unnecessary and nonexistent if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) discharges its statutory functions creditably, transparently, and with discernible fairness. When that body fails, as it did recently, thus subverting the will of Nigerian voters, the recourse to the judiciary becomes imperative, as is now the case.
“I thank every Nigerian who has supported our cause and campaign for a New Nigeria characterized by fairness, equity, justice, the rule of law, peace, prosperity, inclusiveness, sustainable growth, and development. A New Nigeria is possible and achievable. I especially thank our legal team, the Labour Party and Obidient Family, and all those who showed up daily during the court trials. God bless you all, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Earlier, in a statement released on Wednesday by the party’s national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the LP rejected the ruling.
Ifoh said, “The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani today and we reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.
“Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious.
“What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the people will prevail. We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system. We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria but we refuse to give up on Nigeria.”
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has declared his intention to run for re-election in November, despite facing a campaign to disqualify him from the presidential race.
In June of this year, leaked documents revealed that Mr. Rajoelina, along with his wife and children, had obtained French citizenship in 2014. Since this revelation, some Malagasy leaders and citizens have raised concerns about his transparency and loyalty to Madagascar, a former French colony that gained independence in 1960.
Critics argue that Madagascar’s laws do not permit dual citizenship, and individuals who acquire foreign citizenship automatically forfeit their Malagasy citizenship, rendering them ineligible to run for the presidency.
However, Mr. Rajoelina, who won the election in late 2018, disputes this interpretation, asserting that the constitution does not explicitly prohibit individuals with dual citizenship from seeking the presidency.
The upcoming elections, scheduled for November 9 on the Indian Ocean island, will feature over 20 candidates vying for the presidency.
Deputy Ashanti Regional campaign coordinator for Kennedy Agyapong, Ohemeng Ian Moore, a hopeful flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has provided insights into the proceedings of a meeting where the candidates for the party’s presidential primaries were drawing lots for ballot positions.
During an interview on Akoma FM on Wednesday, September 7, 2023, Ian Moore revealed that it was Kennedy Agyapong who intervened to halt the drawing of lots for ballot positions in the November 4 primaries.
He further explained that Ken’s objection stemmed from the fact that numerous unresolved issues from the party’s Special Delegate Conference had surfaced.
“The balloting did not come off today (Wednesday). Ken Agyapong banged on the table and said nobody was doing any balloting. The other candidates followed him except for one who was still seated.
“He stopped it because we are going for an election, but they have failed to resolve the issues that came up during the Super Delegates Conference,” he said in Twi.
He continued, saying that another issue that rankled Ken and a few of the rivals was the party’s proposal to permit lawmakers and appointees of the executive to serve as agents in the congress on November 4.
“And you know, the other funny thing they said? They said MPs, ministers, and other government appointees could be agents for the candidates. This is the intimidation tactic they are trying to put in place. They want to use this to induce the people who come to vote.”
The National Elections Committee of the New Patriotic Party has decided to postpone the scheduled balloting exercise for the prospective candidates in its November 4, 2023, flagbearer election.
As per the Committee’s spokesperson, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the meeting between the committee and the aspirants did not reach a conclusive resolution. The primary aim of the gathering was to conduct the ballot for candidate positions and address various challenges encountered in the process, but it did not proceed as intended.
Afeyo-Markin emphasized that the postponement became necessary due to the lack of an agreement on certain proposals put forth by some of the aspirants. However, he did not provide specific details regarding the nature of these proposals.
“The committee will issue its full report and, based on this, make the report known to the public after due consultations with stakeholders in the party,” he said.
After thinking for six hours, they said Peter Obi’s Labour Party’s request was not valid and rejected all of his arguments, including the accusation of deceit.
We will know soon what they decide about the complaint made by Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Although there were issues with the election, Mr. Tinubu was officially sworn in as an officeholder on May 29th.
The election was the most strongly fought since the military rule ended in 1999, with three very capable candidates competing for the first time. Mr Tinubu received the highest amount of votes with 37%, while Mr Abubakar got 29% and Mr Obi got 25%.
Before Wednesday’s decision, there was a lot of tension in the country. The capital, Abuja, saw more security measures put in place.
Even though authorities told people not to protest, different political groups came together outside the courthouse and started singing and dancing.
The decision made on the same day the President served 100 days in office will be a big win for President Tinubu. He will now closely watch the Supreme Court, as his opponents may challenge this ruling.
But the judges at the Appeal Court all agreed and their decision will make him feel more assured. This was already shown because he was not in the country when Wednesday’s decision was made. He was in India for the G20 summit.
Lead justice Haruna Tsammani, who made the final decision, said “the people who brought the case couldn’t prove that there was corruption and too many votes. ”
Justice Tsammani also mentioned that:
The people who made the petition did not say exactly which polling stations they believe had cheating. The people who started the petition did not give enough evidence to support their claim that votes were being unfairly stopped from being counted in the areas where they have the most support. The electoral commission didn’t have to send results electronically. Not uploading pictures of the polling unit results right away did not make the election not count.
The Nigerian election ruling, which is still being read out, has been accompanied by a lot of false information being spread on social media by influential people and small blogs. These false claims are aimed at the judges on the tribunal.
They have been thinking about problems with Bola Tinubu winning the presidential election in February.
In July, a news website called Igbo Times said that a judge named Justice Boloukuoromo M Ugo had quit the election tribunal panel because people were trying to harm democracy. It also said that he confessed to being asked by the ruling party to support their candidate.
Justice Ugo has not quit, and there is no proof for the statements made by Igbo Times.
In September, some popular people on social media who support the Labour Party started saying that the tribunal had decided to announce the judgement on 16th September. They said that they did this to stop the other side from reacting to the decision because it was the last day that the court could meet.
This wrong statement became the main story before the court announced that September 6 would be the day for its decision.
Some people have sent scary messages and posted pictures of the family members of certain judges. They use #AllEyesOntheJudiciary with their posts.
it seems like someone is trying to scare or threaten others before a decision is made.
A coalition consisting of seven political parties in South Africa has formalized an agreement in their endeavor to dislodge the governing African National Congress (ANC) in the upcoming 2024 election.
Termed the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa, this pact outlines that in the event of their assumption of power, the coalition members will collaborate to assign ministerial roles and parliamentary seats.
Additionally, a significant aim of this alliance is to prevent the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, led by Julius Malema, from gaining ascendancy.
The initiative, spearheaded by the primary opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), comes at a juncture when the nation grapples with challenges such as a struggling economy, corruption, crime, unemployment, and an unprecedented energy crisis.
Among the signatories are the Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, United Independent Movement, Independent SA National Civic Organisation (Isanco), and the Spectrum National Party.
The coalition intends to expand its inclusivity by extending invitations to other parties in due course.
Observers suggest that the ANC faces the potential of relinquishing its parliamentary majority for the first time since South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994.
However, the newly formed bloc has yet to determine the identity of the elected president in the event of a successful outcome in the election.
A politician and actor from Ghana, John Dumelo, has reacted to Mr. Logic’s remarks on his chances of winning the forthcoming elections.
Dumelo would experience another electoral setback, according to Mr. Logic’s forecast. Dumelo dismissed the prediction, pointing out that Mr. Logic is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which may have an impact on his opinions.
During an interview on TV3, Dumelo dismissed Mr. Logic’s views, saying, “I watched that video and you know I wouldn’t make logic out of what Mr. Logic is saying at all… I mean he is a sympathizer of the NPP, so I don’t expect anything different from what he is saying.”
Dumelo, who recently officially announced his candidacy for the position, highlighted the wide spectrum of political viewpoints. He emphasized that his followers and he have different viewpoints and that he is optimistic about his chances.
“Opinions are like music, everybody has them,” Dumelo said. “Some people will think I will win, some people will also think I will not win, and so that is his opinion.”
On a panel discussion, Mr. Logic had spoken his opinions and expressed disappointment about the resignation of a different contender.
He believed that the candidate had a better chance of winning than Dumelo. Mr. Logic stated, “If Fred Nuamah has backed down, I am disappointed with the entire system. I wanted Fred to win because, regarding John, I foresee another loss.”
Mr. Logic’s prediction was based on his research and the preferences of the people in the area.
However, Dumelo remains confident due to the support he received in the previous elections and the anticipated support in the upcoming one. He said, “I think that the over 45,000 people who will also vote for me bear a different opinion, that, yes indeed I can win and I will win.”
Dumelo is running as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in Accra.
The NPP has scheduled a Special Delegates Congress on August 26, 2023, with the purpose of selecting top five candidates who will compete in the November 4, 2023, election.
This election will determine the NPP’s flagbearer for the 2024 General Election.
After the closure of nominations last month, ten individuals submitted their nomination forms to vie for the flagbearership position.
The vetting process commenced on Monday, July 3, and is set to conclude on Thursday.
According to the party’s rules, if more than five aspirants qualify to compete, a special electoral college will be convened.
The college’s task will be to select the final five candidates who will proceed to the November 4 presidential primary.
Currently, there is speculation surrounding a list containing the names of over 900 NPP special delegates who will participate in the selection process to determine the top five candidates for the November 4 election.
However, the authenticity of this list is yet to be confirmed, and the aspirants are eagerly waiting to know their fate.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE COMPOSITION
1. All Constituency Chairmen – 275
2. All Regional Executives – 272
3. All NPP Members of Parliament – 137
4. Regional Representatives to the National Council – 60
5. Council of Elders – 30
6. Founding Members / Fathers – 123
7. Reps from the Women’s Wing – 3
8. Rep from the Youth Wing – 3
9. Reps from the Nasara Wing – 3
10. Three (3) reps from each of the 25 international branches – 75
The Vice President, Dr. Mahaudu Bawumia, has received nominations to serve as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, and Majority Leader in Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has endorsed him as the most qualified candidate.
The Suame MP believes Bawumia is head and shoulders above his rivals because of his leadership skills and experience.
He acknowledged that all of the other competitors were capable, but he asserted that Bawumia is more capable than they are.
Osei-Kyei-Mensah, in a July 10 interview with the media, said:
“In the field of competent people, you’ll still have one person emerge as super competent. I’m looking at the experience of Dr Bawumia. I’m looking at his loyalty to the party. I’m looking at his focus. I’m looking at his vision. I’m looking at his temperament. I’m looking at his humility amongst the group.
“He stands out not just tall but very very tall. That is why I have tied my cloth to his and is supporting him.”
The Majority Leader said, “I believe it is Dr. Bawumia’s season to take over, just as other people, including the current President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had their seasons to take over.”
“In 2008, when former President Kufour was exiting, there were a lot of stories like now being told that the system was supporting Alan Kyeremanten but did it go well for him, it didn’t because it was Akufo-Addo’s season.”
“There is a season for every politician and you seize it. That is what it is. If you ask me, I think the tide has swung hugely in Dr. Bawumia’s favour,” he added.
As NPP prepares to choose its flagbearer for the 2024 elections on November 4, tensions are rising.
Through the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the Committee delivered its findings to the National Council on Monday, July 10.
The New Patriotic Party(NPP) has flatly denied being involved in the alleged scheme to fraudulently add the name of an ineligible candidate of the party to the Assin North Voters Register.
According to the NPP, it is yet to hold primaries in the Assin North Constituency to select its parliamentary candidate for the upcoming by-election. Therefore, it is unfounded for the NDC to claim that the NPP has already chosen a candidate and is conspiring with the Electoral Commission to transfer the voter.
The NPP in a statement, highlighted that both of its candidates, who have filed to contest in the by-election, meet the constitutional requirements. The party added that both candidates are registered voters and have resided in the Assin North Constituency for the minimum period of five years as required by the constitution.
“The NPP has no Parliamentary Candidate for Assin North. As publicly advertised, the Party is yet to hold Parliamentary Primaries in the Assin North Constituency to elect the Party’s Parliamentary Candidate for the by-election.3
“It therefore beggars belief how the NDC is able to determine our Parliamentary Candidate ahead of time and to suggest that we are plotting with the EC to illegally insert his name in the Assin North register.”
THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY IS NOT SEEKING TO TRANSFER ANY VOTER TO ASSIN NORTII VOTERS REGISTER, IGNORE THE NDC’S BASELESS CLAIMS
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken notice of a press statement issued by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on June 4, 2023, signed by the party’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, alleging that the NPP “is in cahoots with their collaborators in the Electoral Commission to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the Voters Register of the Assin North Constituency.
True to their character, the NDC’s statement is replete with spurious claims and baseless allegations intended to mislead the Ghanaian public and, unsurprisingly, prepare the ground for them to reject their imminent embarrassing defeat in the Assin North by-election.
For the avoidance of doubt, the NPP wishes to, by this statement. set the records straight by responding as follows:
I. The NPP emphatically debunks the allegations that the Party “is in a plot to illegally insert the name of an unqualified NPP Parliament, Candidate into the Assin North Register.
Over the years, the NPP has worked hard to maintain its enviable position as the pacesetter of multiparty democracy in Ghana, which includes the strengthening of independent democratic institutions of the State like the Electoral Commission.
As such, we cannot be the Party that would engage in any acts that would jeopardize the nation’s democratic gains.
2. The NPP has no Parliamentary Candidate for Assin North. As publicly advertised, the Party is yet to hold Parliamentary Primaries in the Assin North Constituency to elect the Party’s Parliamentary Candidate for the by-election.
It therefore beggars belief how the NDC is able to determine our Parliamentary Candidate ahead of time and to suggest that we are plotting with the EC to illegally insert his name in the Assin North register.
3. Since the NDC is deficient in their appreciation of Ghana’s electoral laws, we wish to give them some education on the relevant aspects of the Law. “Their claim that the NPP is seeking to transfer the name of a registered voter to the Assin North register to qualify him to contest in the parliamentary by-election actually’ betrays the NDC’s appreciation of Article 94(1)(a) of the 1992 Constitution. Article 94(1)(a) does not require a parliamentary candidate to be registered in the constituency they wish to contest to be viable.
4. The Constitution only requires that a candidate be a registered voter, it does not matter where they are registered. The Constitution also requires a Candidate to hail from the Constituency he is seeking to contest. The two Candidates who have filed to contest on the ticket in the by-election hail from Assin North and have both resided in that Constituency beyond the minimum period of five years required by the Constitution.
5. It is in accordance with this that the Electoral Commission of Ghana only requires a Parliamentary Candidate to make a Statutory Declaration to the effect that he/she is a registered voter simplicita. This can be seen under Part IV of the Parliamentary Nominations Form -2023, which was made available by the EC for aspiring Parliamentary Candidates in the by-election.
6. Unlike them we are focused on selecting a qualified and capable candidate, one who carries no legal baggage like the NDC’s Mr. James Gyakye Quayson to represent the good people of Assin North.
7. The NPP wishes to assure Ghanaians, particularly the people of Assin North that it is committed to upholding and defending the 1992 Constitution.
The biggest opposition party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected calls from concerned delegates in Ketu North to conduct a re-run of elections in the constituency.
The party leadership was responding to calls from NDC delegates who expressed their discontentment with a winner being declared without re-run despite a tie of votes during the party’s primaries.
The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande, stated that the party delivered a conclusive ruling in the presence of the two contenders and the party chairman.
In a citinewsroom.com report, Mustapha added the party has moved on and is preparing the parliamentary candidate to win the Ketu North seat. Adding that calls for re-elections are only reconciliation efforts as the party is even aware of such a petition.
“The National Chairman of the party was present, and the parties involved in the disputed primary were there with their lawyers. We then delivered a conclusive ruling on the matter, and Edem Agbana was declared the legitimately elected parliamentary candidate for Ketu North. As a result, any other issue will be considered a reconciliation effort because we are not even aware of any petition of this nature, and no such matter has been brought to our office. The party has moved on, and we are now preparing the elected candidate to win the seat,” Gbande said.
The parliamentary candidate for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, was declared winner in the May 13 NDC primaries after tying votes with his contender, John Adanu.
They tied with 360 votes each following the discovery of three unstamped ballots.
Turks are voting in a historic presidential run-off election to determine if Recep Tayyip Erdogan should continue in power after 20 years.
His challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, backed by a broad opposition alliance, has billed the vote as a referendum on Turkey’s future direction.
The president, who is favourite to win, promises a new era uniting the country around a “Turkish century”.
But the more pressing issue is rampant inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.
Voters have nine hours to cast their ballots before 17:00 (14:00 GMT) and many were already waiting outside a polling station in central Ankara before the doors opened. One woman of 80 had set her alarm for 05:00 to be sure of arriving on time.
Turnout in the first round was an impressive 88.8%, and Mr Erdogan’s lead was 2.5 million votes. That is why both candidates have their eye on the eight million who did not vote – but could this time.
Ahead of the run-off Mr Kilicdaroglu accused his rival of foul play, by blocking his text messages to voters while the president’s messages went through.
Opposition parties are deploying an army of some 400,000 volunteers in a bid to ensure no vote-rigging takes place, both at polling stations and later at the election authority. But among the volunteers, they need lawyers such as Sena to accompany the ballot boxes.
International observers spoke of an uneven playing field after the first round. But there was no suggestion that any irregularities in voting would have changed the result.
Mr Kilicdaroglu promised a very different style of presidency on his final day of campaigning: “I have no interest in living in palaces. I will live like you, modestly… and solve your problems.”
It was a swipe at Mr Erdogan’s enormous palatial complex on the edge of Ankara which he moved to when he switched from prime minister to president in 2014. After surviving a failed coup in 2016 he took on extensive powers, detained tens of thousands of people and took control of the media.
So it was laden with symbolism when he paid a campaign visit on Saturday to the mausoleum of a prime minister executed by the military after a coup in 1960.
Image caption,One of President Erdogan’s final acts before the vote was to lay carnations at a mausoleum
“The era of coups and juntas is over,” he declared, linking Turkey’s current stability to his own authoritarian rule.
Turkey, however, is deeply polarised, with the president reliant on a support base of religious conservatives and nationalists, while his opposite number’s supporters are mainly secular – but many of them are nationalist too.
For days the two men traded insults. Mr Kilicdaroglu accused the president of cowardice and hiding from a fair election; Mr Erdogan said his rival was on the side of “terrorists”, referring to Kurdish militants.
But after days of inflammatory rhetoric about sending millions of Syrian refugees home, the opposition candidate returned to Turkey’s number-one issue – the economic crisis, and in particular its effect on poorer households.
A 59-year-old woman and her grandson joined him on stage to explain how her monthly salary of 5,000 lira (£200; $250) was now impossible to live on as her rent had shot up to 4,000 lira (£160; $200).
Image caption,A boy takes a picture of his grandmother, 59, with Kemal Kilicdaroglu
It may have been staged, but this is the story across Turkey, with inflation at almost 44% and salaries and state help failing to keep pace.
Economists say the Erdogan policy of cutting interest rates rather than raising them has only made matters worse.
The Turkish lira has hit record lows, demand for foreign currency has surged and the central bank’s net foreign currency reserves are in negative territory for the first time since 2002.
“The central bank has no foreign currency to sell,” says Selva Demiralp, professor of economics at Koc University. “There are already some sort of capital controls – we all know it’s hard to buy dollars. If they continue with low interest rates, as Erdogan has signalled, the only other option is stricter controls.”
East of Ankara, gleaming tower blocks have been springing up in Kirikkale. It looks like boom-time for this city, run by the president’s party.
But many people here are struggling.
Fatma has run a hairdresser’s for 13 years but for the past two, work has dried up, and the cost of rent and hair products has soared.
She voted for an ultranationalist candidate who came third, and does not trust the two men left in the race.
A few doors up the street, Binnaz is working a sewing machine at a shop for mending clothes.
People cannot afford new dresses so she is earning much more, even if her monthly rent has trebled to to 4,000 lira. Despite Turkey’s stricken economy, she is putting her faith in the president.
BBC
I believe [Erdogan] can fix it because he’s been in power for 21 years and he has all the power. It’s his last term [in office] so he’ll do all he can for usBinnaz Seamstress in Kirikkale
Outside a supermarket, Emrah Turgut says he is also sticking with Mr Erdogan because he has no faith in the other option, and believes the president’s unfounded allegations that the biggest opposition party co-operates with terrorists.
Turkey’s second-biggest opposition party, the HDP, denies any link to the militant PKK, but President Erdogan has used their backing for the rival candidate to suggest a link to terrorists.
Whoever wins on Sunday, Turkey’s parliament is already firmly in the grip of Mr Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party and its far-right nationalist ally, the MHP.
The AKP also has the youngest MP, who arrived in parliament on the eve of the presidential vote.
Zehranur Aydemir, 24, believes if Mr Erdogan wins then he will lay the foundations for a century in which Turkey will become a global power: “Now Turkey has a bigger vision it can dream bigger.”
It is another grandiose Erdogan project, but Turkey’s economy is likely to prove a more pressing task, whoever wins the run-off.
The Kumawu by-election saw an increase in tensions as Peter Boama Otokunor, a former deputy general secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), nearly averted a violent conflict with three NPP women.
The media explained that Otokunor suggested at the polling center that NDC agents should position themselves closely behind the Election Commission officials to prevent any potential electoral fraud.
She further added that Otokunor’s statement provoked the ire of the NPP women present.
According to Yiadom, one of the women named Salomey, who formerly served as the NPP Deputy Women’s Organizer for Bantama, displayed immense courage and came close to physically engaging Otokunor and even threatening him.
This drew the attention of another woman, identified as Vivian Ofosua, a national representative for the NPP, who nearly engaged Otokunor in a confrontation as well as an additional party woman.
As tensions escalated, individuals at the scene intervened to prevent the situation from getting out of control and ensured peace was restored.
“Three women in the NPP have really done well today, they nearly beat Otokunor today, three women, they nearly beat him, the women, one is called Salomey who is the former NPP deputy women’s organizer for Bantama, she is very brave, herself and Otokunor it wasn’t easy, she nearly put her hands into his eyes.
“And another one Vivian Ofosua, a national rep for NPP, and another person, they nearly beat Otokunor, so people had to intervene to calm them down before there was peace….so, we asked him why was he causing confusion and he explained that per the election rules, the NDC agents are supposed to sit close behind the EC officials because they could steal the election, so, it is because of stealing that is why he did that by allowing his party agents to sit close behind the EC.
“…so, most of the electorates got angry and accused him of bringing chaos at the poling center…so he had to go back to his car and later on Madam Salomey followed up warning him that if he ever comes there again, she will deal with him…which made him laugh and he moved his car away,” she narrated.
The third-place finisher in Febuary’s presidential election in Nigeria, Peter Obi, has officially petitioned the court to annul the decision in favor of the candidate of the ruling party.
The suit filed on Monday is probably just the beginning of a protracted court struggle over the election scheduled for February 25, as it has with previous presidential contests in the most populous country in Africa.
Obi of the Labour Party was a surprising third candidate who challenged the dominance of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party by appealing to younger people (PDP).
Former Lagos governor and APC stalwart Bola Tinubu won the election with around 37 percent of vote, but opposition parties say delays in electronic uploading of results aided massive ballot rigging.
In the petition filed in an Abuja appeals court, Obi alleges that the Independent National Electoral Commission or INEC broke electoral law.
INEC has denied any illegal activity, though acknowledged technical problems.
Among other claims, the petition says Tinubu was not qualified to be a candidate because of a 1990s drug-related forfeiture of nearly $500,000 from one of his accounts in a US bank. Tinubu denies any wrongdoing.
Nigeria’s ruling APC won most of the states in the local elections, but on the back of a low turnout.
“The election… was invalid by reason of corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the electoral act,” the petition says.
It claims “based on the valid votes cast”, Obi won the largest number and “ought to be declared and returned the winner of the presidential election”.
The main opposition presidential candidate PDP’s Atiku Abubakar has also said he will challenge the results, calling the election a “rape of democracy”.
Analysts expect those legal challenges to end up the country’s Supreme Court, as they did after the 2019 election.
President Muhammadu Buhari steps down in May after two terms, leaving Nigeria grappling with widespread insecurity, economic woes and growing poverty.
Nigerians had hoped the presidential ballot would give them a chance to be heard, but many were disappointed by the way the election was conducted.
Voters and opposition parties complained last month that technical mishaps with voting machines caused delays and allowed for vote rigging, which the electoral commission has denied.
International observers, including from the European Union, noted major logistical problems, disenfranchised voters and a lack of transparency.
“The process of reclaiming the people´s mandate has started,” Labour spokesman Yunusa Tanko said in a statement on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, president-elect Tinubu appealed for unity, saying “the time for politicking is gone”.
– Violent intimidation –
Nigeria’s ruling party also won the majority of governorships contested in last weekend’s local elections, results showed Tuesday, following a ballot marred by voter suppression and violent intimidation which the US government called deeply troubling.
Elections were held to choose governors in 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states and state assembly lawmakers. Governors in the remaining eight states had earlier been chosen in by-elections.
According to the results from Saturday’s vote declared by INEC, APC won the governorship in 15 states — Lagos, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, Kwara, Niger, Yobe, Nasarawa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ogun, Benue, Kaduna and Borno.
PDP won seven — Plateau, Bauchi, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Zamfara states.
Governors are powerful figures in Nigeria and some control state budgets that are larger than those of several African nations.
In a major upset in the presidential election, outsider Obi won the most votes in Lagos, considered the fiefdom of president-elect Tinubu.
A big question on Saturday was whether Obi’s popularity, especially among younger voters, would translate into success at the local polls.
But the APC’s Babajide Sanwo-Olu scored a landslide re-election as Lagos governor.
Local and international observers said the latest poll was impacted by disappointments in the presidential election but also by tactics to scare voters, buy ballots and threats of violence.
“The United States is deeply troubled by the disturbing acts of violent voter intimidation and suppression that took place during the March 18 polls in Lagos, Kano, and other states,” the US embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.
EU mission Chief Observer Barry Andrews on Monday said Nigerians’ expectations for Saturday’s election were not met in many parts of the country.
“Many were disappointed and we witnessed voter apathy that is a clear consequence of failures by political elites and, unfortunately, also by INEC,” he said.
His mission also said polling was disrupted by “thuggery and intimidation of voters, polling officials, observers, and journalists.”
“Unfortunately, there were many casualties and fatalities,” it said. “Vote-buying, also directly observed by EU (election) observers, further detracted from an appropriate conduct of the elections.”
Several ladies in Kogi Central have flocked to the streets to protest what they characterized as “injustice” following the conclusion of the senatorial election in the constituency.
The women in a white ritual rally encouraged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan as the senator-elect in video recordings that the media was able to get.
The media learned the white ritual is done at sacred times to invoke the ancestral spirits of war against those who cheat or cause pain to the land.
Recall the Natasha had rejected the declaration of Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as winner of the February 25 election for Kogi Central Senatorial District following the irregularities that marred the process.
Sadiku-Ohere beat Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to emerge winner of the keenly contested election.
Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, the INEC Returning Officer for Kogi Central Senatorial District, announced the result on Tuesday in Okene.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has maintained its control of the Senate with 51 seats, according to the results of the parliamentary elections so far reported by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Of the 89 seats that have been formally declared, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has gained 28, the Labour Party has won six, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) have each gained two.
One senator has been elected so far from each of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young Progressive Party (YPP).
It is anticipated that the dominant party in the 10th Senate will continue to hold sway with 51 senators. With three members for each state and one for the FCT, the Red Chamber has 109 seats. A party with a simple majority elects the President of the Senate and the Deputy Senate President to serve as the chamber’s presiding officers.
The results of last Saturday’s parliamentary elections have continued to surprise and outrage voters as more in-office officials lost in the election.
The governors of Abia, Kebbi, Darius Ishaku, Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu, Plateau, Simon Lalong, and Cross River failed in their bids to represent their senatorial districts in the legislature. The sole winners were Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi and Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal disputed the results of the Sokoto South senatorial race, but they were declared inconclusive due to anomalies like overvoting.
A senate candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, has been defeated by Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently proclaimed Ohiare the victor of the Kogi Central Senatorial district election on February 25.
In a hotly contested race, Sadiku-Ohere triumphed over Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Ms. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, the INEC Returning Officer for Kogi central senatorial district, announced the result on Tuesday in Okene.
He said Sadiku-Ohere garnered 52,132 votes against Natasha’s 51,763 votes to clinch the seat, a difference of 369 votes between them.
“Engineer Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the APC having scored the highest votes in the election for the Kogi Central Senatorial seat is hereby declared winner, and is therefore returned elected,” Ajayi said.
Voting in most polling units in Nyanya, Abuja, has ended officially at 2.30 pm, as voters in the area expressed happiness describing the process as peaceful.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the voters conducted themselves in an orderly manner, while INEC officials and security agencies performed their duties.
Mr Emeka Nwaobodo, a voter at polling unit 24, Redeemed Christian Church, Nyanya, told NAN that the voting atmosphere was peace and calm.
He described the peaceful atmosphere as a departure from previous elections, calling for consolidation of same in future elections.
Nwaobodo commended the security agents and INEC officials that ensured voters remained orderly during accreditation and the voting process.
Mrs Vera Ochai, a voter, who described the exercise at her polling unit 39 as “great”, said she was fulfilled, given the orderly and peaceful nature of the voting process.
This, she attributed to the activities of INEC and the security officials stationed at the polling units.
She commended voters for their support through their orderly conduct all through the voting.
Miss Chioma Amuta, a voter at Nyanya polling unit 005, who also commended INEC and security agencies for the orderly conduct of the election, said “this is an indication that my vote will count.”
She said that going forward, efforts should be made to sustain the success recorded, especially the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and called for introduction of other advanced technological equipment, in line with global best practices in subsequent elections.
NAN reports that some of the units where voting officially ended in Nyanya and sorting and counting of ballot papers are in progress include polling units 063, 064, 030, 038, 039, 005, 024 023, and 022, among many others.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has officially announced his plans to run for President in the 2024 general election.
Mr. Mahama made the formal announcement when he met with the Minority caucus at his Cantonment office on Tuesday.
All NDC MPs in Parliament have unanimously endorsed John Dramani as flagbearer.
Present at the meeting were former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, former NDC Campaign Manager for the 2020 general elections, Professor Joshua Alabi and former Information Minister, Kofi Totobi Quakyi.
It is expected that the former President will make a public declaration in the coming days.
On Monday, leadership of four unions – Motor Riders Union, True Drivers Union, Concerned Drivers Union and Abossey OkaiSpare-part Dealers Association – petitioned John Dramani Mahama, urging him to contest for the Presidency.
If elected President, John Dramani Mahama will, in the opinion of the unions, be the finest person to address the nation’s current economic problems.
Presenting the petition to the office of the former President, the Public Relations Officer of the Motor Riders Association, Setsofia Quashie said Ghanaians are desirous of a change in administration that will result in the transformation of the economy.
NDC Greater Accra Chairmen endorse Mahama; promise to pay his GH¢500K filing fee
Constituency Chairmen of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Greater Accra Region had earlier declared their support and endorsement for former President John Dramani Mahama, should he decide to contest the party’s presidential primaries.
The Greater Accra Chairmen Caucus during a courtesy call on Mr. Mahama asked him to lead the party to the 2024 election.
According to the 33 chairmen, it is only President John Mahama who can lead and win the elections for the NDC in 2024.
The caucus, led by Dome Kwabenya Chairman, Isaac Lamptey, also promised that they will raise and pay the filing fee of GH¢500,000 for Mr. Mahama to contest the NDC primaries.
NDC youth in the Volta Region also want John Dramani Mahama to run unopposed for the flagbearership race of the party ahead of the polls.
The group believes that there “is no need for flagbearer elections, but instead the party should directly endorse the former president as flagbearer of the party for the 2024 presidential elections.”
Donald Trump has proposed the “termination” of the United States Constitution, spurring a sharp rebuke from the White House as the former president revisits debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, which he lost.
Mr Trump took to his social media platform two years ago to declare himself “the rightful winner” after steering largely clear of his election defeat in a speech on November 15 when announcing his intention to run for president again in 2024.
He stated that it was time to “throw out” the results of the 2020 presidential election or hold a “new election.”
“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” Mr Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone False & Fraudulent Elections!”
Later on Saturday, White House spokesman Andrew Bates slammed Mr Trump’s statement, calling the US Constitution a “sacrosanct document”.
Mr Trump announced on November 15 that he’d be running for president for a third time, almost two years ahead of the 2024 election.(AP: Andrew Harnik)
“Attacking the constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation and should be universally condemned,” Mr Bates said.
“You cannot only love America when you win.”
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, Mr Trump doubled down on his comments and distanced himself further from leadership within his own Republican Party, baiting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to weigh in.
“I wonder what Mitch McConnell, the RINOS (Republicans in name only), and all of the weak Republicans who couldn’t get the Presidential Election of 2020 approved and out of the way fast enough, are thinking now?” Mr Trump wrote.
Mr Trump dined with rapper Kanye West and White supremacist Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago on November 22. (AP Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Mr McConnell has infuriated the former president by indirectly criticising him after hosting a dinner on November 22 at his Mar-a-Lago resort with rapper Kanye West — who had made a series of anti-Semitic remarks — and Holocaust-denying White nationalist Nick Fuentes.
Mr Trump has since denied inviting Mr Fuentes or being aware of his background, saying that Mr Fuentes just followed Mr West — now known by the name of Ye — into the resort as an extra guest.
At the dinner, Mr West reportedly berated Mr Trump for not doing enough to help the January 6 rioters who wanted to stop then vice-president Mike Pence from certifying the 2020 election results that would confirm Joe Biden as the 46th US president.
Nine days later — last Thursday — Mr Trump came out vigorously in support of those convicted in the attacks on the US Capitol in a message to a right-wing political group.
In a video played at a fundraiser held by the Patriot Freedom Project, Mr Trump said the January 6 rioters were being dealt with “very unfairly” by the courts.
“People have been treated unconstitutionally in my opinion and very, very unfairly, and we’re going to get to the bottom of it,” he said in the video, shot in his office in front of a framed photo of him and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In a September interview, Mr Trump said that he would consider issuing pardons and providing an official apology to January 6 defendants if re-elected president and was “financially supporting” those involved.
Kanye West, seen here at the White House in 2018, reportedly urged Mr Trump to do more for the January 6 defendants.(AP: Evan Vucci)
According to this year’s January 6 hearings held by Congress, Trump supporters acted violently after believing “the big lie” that the 2020 election was “stolen”, despite a lack of evidence and a multitude of failed legal challenges.
Mr Trump’s posts came after Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, announced that he would show how the social media platform had suppressed “free speech” in the run-up to the 2020 election by favouring the Democratic Party in blocking explosive content.
That included reports of damaging material found on the laptop of Hunter Biden, the once-wayward son of the current US president, as first reported by the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post.
What really happened with the Hunter Biden story suppression by Twitter will be published on Twitter at 5pm ET!
Republicans hope that fresh revelations about Hunter Biden’s possible former links to Ukraine and his other salacious activities could give them a political edge when they retake the House of Representatives in early 2023, possibly leading to congressional hearings.
But the Republican Party’s underwhelming performance in last month’s midterm elections — it narrowly won the House but was unable to retake control of the Senate because of the flop of so-called MAGA candidates — has weakened Mr Trump’s once unchallenged position as conservative kingmaker.
Some of the losing candidates — including former TV anchor Kari Lake who was beaten by Democrat Katie Hobbs in the Arizona Governor race — have followed the Trump playbook by refusing to concede defeat while claiming widespread election fraud without evidence.
Mr Trump is also fighting multiple legal challenges on state and federal levels, including an investigation into why he took classified government documents to his Florida property after leaving the White House in January 2021.
He also saw the US Supreme Court last week reject his request to block a congressional committee from obtaining his federal income tax returns, which promise to inflict more political damage in the final days of the Democrat-held House.
Even so, an Emerson College poll released on November 22 gave Mr Trump a 30-percentage-point lead over his potential challenger Ron DeSantis — the Florida governor — in a hypothetical 2024 Republican primary.
But he trailed Mr Biden by 4 points in a possible presidential election rematch in 2024 when Mr Trump would be 78 years old and Mr Biden would be turning 82.
An influential Libyan official said that the United Nations’ special envoy should meet with the joint electoral committee made up of rival Libyan factions, to start constitutional arrangements for elections.
Aguila Saleh, the influential speaker of Libya’s east-based parliament, was speaking to reporters in Cairo after meeting Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Saleh said the joint committeecould send their recommendations to the High National Election Commission, which would then be responsible for holding elections.
Earlier this month, Abdoulaye Bathily, the new UN special envoy for Libya warned that the first anniversary of Libya’s postponed elections is quickly approaching and that further delaying a vote could lead the troubled north African nation to even greater instability, putting it “at risk of partition.”
“The Libyan executive body’s term is over,” said Saleh, calling for a peaceful transfer of power and a return to previous electoral procedures.
Refugees are concerned that the incoming administration will continue to close UNHCR officesand expand an official tracking system.
Millions of Malaysians will go to the polls on November 19 to decide the direction of their country for the next five years.
While Malaysians vote in the hope of creating the country they want, the 183,000 refugees who live there are wary of what appears to be a recent hardening of rhetoric toward asylum seekers and refugees.
Refugees, who are classified as “illegal immigrants” under Malaysian law, are one of the country’s most marginalised and vulnerable communities, with no right to work or access to formal education.
Like most of its neighbours in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN’s 1951 refugee convention or the 1967 protocol, but in recent months the government of incumbent Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has returned asylum seekers to Myanmar, launched a new tracking system for refugees and announced its commitment to closing down the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which currently handles protection needs for asylum seekers and refugees.
“The presence of UNHCR offices is seen to be the biggest pulling factor towards the increased arrival of foreign migrants,” a cabinet minister, Abd Latiff Ahmad, said in a parliamentary reply to then-opposition member of parliament Charles Santiago on October 7 shortly before the house was dissolved.
Ismail Sabri, who is a vice president of the United Malays National Organisation, is campaigning for re-election as part of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition against two other broad coalitions, including BN’s current partner in government Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan, which won the last election in May 2018 but collapsed amid political manoeuvring.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (second left) is campaigning hard to form the next government. His administration has said it wants to close the offices of the UN refugee agency in Malaysia [Mohd Rasfan/AFP]
Human Rights Watch’s Asia deputy director, Phil Robertson, told Al Jazeera that some see the moves as an election ploy.
“Many observers believe that the Home Affairs Minister is pushing this issue hard for political reasons, to try and scapegoat UNHCR as the problem, which plays well with parts of the conservative electorate who are more xenophobic and anti-refugee,” he said.
“That’s a real shame because refugees should not be demonised for any reason because it puts people’s lives at risk.”
‘Terrible and sad’
Many refugees are alarmed at the potential closure of the UNHCR offices.
The agency not only assesses protection needs but also helps verify the identity of those caught up in the immigration detention system, although the government has not allowed access to the centres since 2019 during Pakatan Harapan’s brief period in power.
James Bawi Thang Bik, a representative for The Alliance of Chin Refugees in Malaysia, described the move as “terrible and sad news for the refugee community”.
People from Myanmar account for 85 per cent of the refugees in Malaysia, and ethnic Chins who come from the country’s west are the second-largest group after the mostly Muslim Rohingya.
Rohingya refugee children feed a sacrificial cow on the eve of Eid al-Adha in Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 9, 2022 [REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain]
The UNHCR is usually the first point of call for new arrivals, who go through a series of interviews and checks with agency staff to assess whether they are in genuine need of protection. Those assessed as refugees are given identity cards from the agency, with the lucky few eventually securing resettlement elsewhere.
But the process of getting a card can take months and resettlement years.
“We are afraid the registration process will take longer than the UNHCR registration process,” said Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani, the president of the Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MEHROM). “Usually, it will take between three to six years for the Rohingya asylum seekers to be recognised as refugees. In some cases, more than six years.”
Zafar himself was the target of a disinformation campaign that forced him into hiding in 2020 after a false Facebook post claimed that he had demanded Malaysian citizenship for Rohingya refugees. Two years later, he and his family are still receiving death threats and harassment.
‘Establishing a national framework’
The UN refugee agency first began working in Malaysia during the Vietnam refugee crisis in the 1970s and has expanded rapidly as a result of conflicts in countries from Myanmar to Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Syria.
Its colonial-era bungalow in Kuala Lumpur has been extended multiple times, and the once-lush garden is covered over with portacabins, parking and a vast covered building where asylum seekers wait for interviews and for claims to be processed.
When asked about the government’s plan to close the offices, Yante Ismail, the Kuala Lumpur-based UNHCR spokesperson, told Al Jazeera that it “welcomes the continued engagement of the Government of Malaysia and ongoing efforts to explore closer cooperation on a variety of issues related to refugee protection”.
She added that the organisation has been in close discussions on a framework of cooperation on managing refugees in the country for years through a government-initiated Joint Task Force, cochaired by the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN refugee agency.
“UNHCR welcomes the Malaysian Government’s continued interest in establishing a national framework to manage the refugee situation in the country that may eventually result in the Government assuming greater responsibility for refugee management and protection,” she said.
Rohingya refugee and activist Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani and his wife were forced into hiding in 2020 after disinformation was spread about him on social media. He continues to receive death threats [File: Lim Huey Teng/Reuters]
But others are sceptical about the government’s ability to handle the work.
“The bottom line is the government doesn’t really have the capacity to manage the refugee situation in the country,” Human Rights Watch’s Robertson said.
“With more than 180,000 UNHCR-recognised refugees, there is a major human rights protection challenge to keep those people safe, and nothing the Malaysian government has done to date indicates that they are up for that challenge.”
Questions over resettlement
The plan to take control of asylum seekers and refugees in Malaysia has also raised questions about the resettlement process under which people are able to start new lives in third countries. The UNHCR is central to the process and works with accepting countries to submit refugees for resettlement. In Malaysia, most refugees are resettled in the United States.
“What I can say is that there will be no more resettlement for refugees in the absence of UNHCR,” said James Bawi Thang Bik. “I think resettlement for refugees is beyond the capacity of a government without UNHCR.”
Robertson notes that most governments require a UNHCR interview to determine the status of a refugee.
“The fact that Malaysia is not a state party of the UN Refugee Convention means that UNHCR’s role is even more important and that closing down the office would be like Malaysia shooting itself in the foot,” he said.
While UNHCR identifies refugees in need of resettlement, it is up to resettlement countries to decide how many refugees they will accept with a quota decided each financial year. The US, which takes in the most people, has said it will accept 125,000 refugees under resettlement after reaching an all-time low during the administration of former President Donald Trump when the quota was cut to 15,000.
Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is campaigning as leader of Perikatan Nasional (PN). As prime minister, he had said Malaysia could not cope with any more Rohingya refugees [Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters]
Despite the challenging situation in Malaysia, many refugees are hoping that whoever wins power this week will not only reconsider the plan to close the offices of the UN refugee agency but also develop a more comprehensive policy for refugees and asylum seekers, even though the competing coalitions’ manifestos barely touch on the issue.
Officials have periodically talked of giving refugees the right to work, while outgoing Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah has often visited community schools for Rohingya refugees while in office.
Back in 2016, as he faced growing questions over his role in the multibillion-dollar corruption scandal, now-jailed Prime Minister Najib Razak held a mass rally condemning Myanmar’s “genocide” against the Rohingya.
It was not possible for the world to “sit by and watch genocide taking place” he told thousands of people at a Kuala Lumpur stadium, adding that the persecution of the Rohingya was an “insult” to Islam.
The next year, hundreds of thousands more Rohingya were forced to flee as the Myanmar army launched a brutal crackdown in the country’s northwest that is now the subject of a genocide trial at the International Court of Justice.
“We hope the new government will allow the UNHCRto resume their work to assist refugees and asylum seekers and find a durable solution for them,” said MEHROM’s Zafar.
Former Minister for Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, has noted how several false allegations were made against him following Ghana’s participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil.
Mr Afriyie Ankrah shared some of the outrageous allegations leveled against him with GhanaWeb’s Edward Smith Anamale on the Election Desk program.
According to him, he was alleged to have put his mother in charge of the sale of replica jerseys, but stated that his mother had absolutely no knowledge of football.
“There were all manner of wild stories. I’d give you just a few. There’s this story that my wife was a caterer… I mean, my wife has absolutely nothing to do with cooking. The only reason she went was because we had buried her mother three weeks earlier. So, I took my wife and my two kids because the other one was in boarding school, and I bought the tickets myself – Air Portugal, and took them. It was not at government expense, but there was the story out there. They said my mother was in charge of replica jerseys. What they didn’t know is that my mother doesn’t live in Ghana; my mother has never lived in Ghana since I was six months old. She doesn’t know the difference between a corner kick and a penalty. She has no idea, so when I told her, ‘Mummy, they said you are in charge of replica jerseys, she said, what is that?’ “She has no idea,” he said.
He shared other allegations made against him but expressed happiness about the report of the Dzamefe Commission, which, according to him, vindicated him.
“I woke up one day and there was one of the papers with me sitting with some ministers, with coconut in front of us. They said coconut was $200, $2000. There was nothing about coconut. I always drink coconut because I’m a health-conscious person, and at the camp, coconut was virtually free. And even if you buy it, it’s less than $1. Nothing; it was all manufactured.”
“It was later that I found out that there were some unseen hands behind it, but I keep saying that if those things hadn’t happened, and especially if the commission hadn’t been put in place and a report officially there, which clearly shows that I was audited by Ernst and Young,… by the time I was leaving office, the World Cup money itself, which the government gave to us, was still in the account,” Afriyie Ankrah, who is vying for
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil saw Ghana get eliminated at the group stage of the competition, but it also came with several camp-related stories, among other stories of corruption allegations.
