Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services, Dr. Bossman Asare, has announced that Joana Gyan Cudjoe will feature on the ballot for the December 2024 parliamentary elections.
This development follows the Sekondi High Court’s decision on November 11, 2024, to lift an earlier injunction that had prevented her candidacy.
Speaking on GHOne TV on Monday, November 18, 2024, Dr. Asare explained that the EC initially disqualified Gyan from contesting the Amenfi Central seat due to the High Court’s injunction.
However, with the latest court ruling clearing her path, the commission will proceed with the necessary adjustments to reinstate her candidacy.
“The EC’s position has always been that she was disqualified because of the injunction so once the injunction has been removed, the commission will take the necessary action. The road has been paved for her to be on the ballot,” he said.
Dr. Bossman Asare emphasized that the Electoral Commission acted within the law by disqualifying Joana Gyan from contesting the Amenfi Central parliamentary elections.
He further clarified that the EC was a party to the High Court injunction and would have faced contempt charges if it had failed to comply with the court’s ruling.
“There was an injunction and it was the duty of the political party and the candidate to ensure the injunction was removed. Our position at the EC was that we cannot recognise a candidate who has been injuncted. Those who filed the injunction added the EC were part of the process and so if we had accepted the candidate for the parliamentary election at that particular time, it would mean the EC would be going against the laws of the country.
“We would have been in contempt of court if we had gone against the ruling of the High Court barring Gyan from presenting herself as the parliamentary candidate. I believe we did the right thing,” he said.
Background
The Sekondi High Court, on November 11, 2024, overturned an injunction that had previously barred Joana Gyan Cudjoe from contesting as a parliamentary candidate.
The issue began when a group of dissatisfied individuals filed a lawsuit, resulting in an interlocutory injunction that temporarily prohibited Joana Gyan from standing as a candidate, despite her decisive win in the May 13, 2023, parliamentary primaries.
In response, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) nullified the May 2023 election results and held fresh primaries on September 8, 2024, where Joana Gyan once again emerged victorious under the supervision of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The NDC maintained that the September primaries superseded the annulled May election, solidifying Joana Gyan Cudjoe’s legitimacy as the candidate. However, the EC disqualified her, citing the injunction tied to the voided May 2023 election as the reason for their action.
