Asiedu Nketia explains why NDC delayed in filing Mahama’s nomination

General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has explained why they delayed in filing the nomination of the flagbearer of the party, John Mahama.

Speaking at the headquarters of the EC today in Accra, he said some of the people who endorsed the form for the former President were called by the EC to come for new cards.

This he said has delayed them because they now had to revise the form.

"We have been given 5days to file nominations beginning from Monday to Friday, let's ask ourselves what register are we filing the nominations based on? The laws of the Commission indicated that an old register does not become extinct until a new one is finalised and certified. We have a situation when we are called upon to file nominations where there is a big doubt as to which register will be the base document for the filing of nominations." 

According to him, as long as the register remains provisional it means the EC is not working with a certified register and the names of the individuals could change again.

"It is called provisional register because it has not been certified no matter... have happened with the CI, a provisional document remains a provisional document."

"We were unable to come at 11 am because this morning some of our supporters who have endorsed the document provided their Voter ID numbers were calling that the commission has called to change their ID cards."

"It is unfortunate that a mature democracy like Ghana’s, we are having to go into elections as if we haven’t tasted democracy before," he added.

He concluded that they did not want to create problems for the country, hence, their decision to continue with the process.

"We are going along because we don't want to create problems for this nation but we are doing so with our conviction that if you have to eat with the devil you must have a long spoon."

President Akufo-Addo has also filed his nomination to contest in the 2020 presidential elections yesterday.

The President is hoping to be cleared to lead the New Patriotic Party, NPP into the polls slated for December 7, 2020.

He is seeking a second term in office after defeating John Mahama in the 2016 election by about a million vote margin.

Nana Akufo-Addo submitted the forms today, Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

He was accompanied by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

He urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to be fair and transparent in the electoral process.

“What the Ghanaian people are expecting is that the election of December will be an election that will is conducted in peace, in freedom, in security and in transparency so that the results of the election will reflect the will of the Ghanaian people. Elections are not meant to be decided by you, or the officials that work for you. You are the referees in the contest.”

The forms were received by the Returning Officer, Jean Mensa.

The Electoral Commission started receiving nomination forms from presidential and parliamentary aspirants from yesterday, Monday, October 5, 2020. The exercise is expected to end on October 9.