Former President, John Mahama, has revealed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) intends to injunct the Electoral Commission (EC) and prevent it from printing Parliamentary ballot papers for Amenfi Central Constituency in the Western Region in the 2024 elections.
Addressing party supporters at Gbetsile in the Kpone Katamanse constituency in the Greater Accra Region, the former President who is also the NDC Presidential candidate for the 2024 elections said the party will take this action as part of its plans to ensure that the election regulatory body doesn’t go ahead to conduct the polls on December 7th without an NDC Parliamentary candidate.
He told the gathering of party supporters that he and the leadership of the NDC arrived at this conclusion after assessing the circumstances that led to the EC disqualifying the Parliamentary Candidate for the area, Joana Gyan-Cudjoe from the race.
A livid Mahama said the party realised that EC intentionally disqualified the businesswoman to make room for the NDC to have a ‘one free constituency even before a ballot is cast’; an act he described as revealed that the EC is ‘not neutral’ in this year’s elections.
“…because you (EC) is in a hurry to disqualify her, the nomination period has passed, NDC cannot put up a candidate at this time so NPP will have one free constituency, this is what we say that this Electoral Commission is not a neutral commission…
“And the point if you say she can’t run, even if she gets a judgement after you’ve printed the ballot, there is no way that you can replace her on the ballot, and so wait till the final analysis, make it a fait accompli, give NPP one free constituency, Amenfi Central even before any Ghanaian has cast a ballot. This is completely unfair.
“Electoral Commission, go ask your legal department about this case. And so we are also going to injunct the Electoral Commission. You cannot print parliamentary electoral papers unless the court hears this matter and makes a determination on it. The Electoral Commission is not neutral for this 2024 election, and I am surprised this is the body that wants to manage our elections…,” he said.
The EC disqualified her following an Order for Interlocutory Injunction issued by the High Court in Sekondi on May 31, 2024, in the case of Gyedu Frimpong & 4 Others vs. Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the NDC, and the Electoral Commission.
The court order restrains Joana Gyan Cudjoe from holding herself out as the duly elected NDC parliamentary candidate for Amenfi Central until the final determination of the matter.
Additionally, the NDC and the Electoral Commission (EC) are prohibited from recognising or affording her any rights or privileges as the candidate.
In a letter dated October 10, 2024, Deputy Chairman of Operations, Samuel Tettey, informed Gyan Cudjoe of her disqualification, stating that the Commission is bound by the court order, which has neither been stayed nor vacated.
Cudjoe was barred by the Sekondi High Court in May from claiming to be the party’s parliamentary candidate in the constituency.
This decision stemmed from allegations that she forged her voter ID and NDC party card.
Five applicants, Gyedu Frimpong, Akubilla Daniel, Enock Ntiamoh, Isaac Twum, and Doris Aidoo, sued Joana Cudjoe, the NDC, and the Electoral Commission.
