In a fiery press conference held on October 16, 2024, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) fiercely criticized the Electoral Commission (EC) for what it termed the “unconstitutional, undemocratic, and provocative” disqualification of its Amenfi Central parliamentary candidate, Madam Joana Gyan Cudjoe.
Addressing the media, Hon. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the NDC General Secretary, described the EC’s actions as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the democratic process and disenfranchise the people of Amenfi Central.
“The facts surrounding this travesty are known to all. Yet, the EC, in an act of sheer disregard for legal processes and justice, has chosen to disqualify a candidate based on an expired and irrelevant interlocutory injunction tied to a completely different election.
“This blatant abuse of authority, this overt manipulation of the democratic process, and this audacious attempt to deny the people of Amenfi Central their right to representation cannot, and will not, be tolerated”.
Hon. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, NDC General Secretary
The Legal Impasse: Facts of the Case
Hon. Kwetey, in his presentation, provided a detailed account of the situation, explaining that the disqualification was based on an expired interlocutory injunction tied to a prior election held in May 2023.
He noted that after Madam Gyan Cudjoe won the NDC primaries in Amenfi Central, dissatisfied individuals filed a lawsuit questioning the legitimacy of the election, leading to the injunction, adding that the order of the court was a temporary injunction, not a final ruling.
Hon. Kwetey further pointed out that the court went on vacation before the substantive matter could be resolved, leaving the party in a bind.
Faced with strict electoral timelines, he noted that the NDC annulled the May 2023 election and held fresh primaries on September 8, 2024, in which Madam Gyan Cudjoe once again emerged victorious.
The General Secretary of the opposition party emphasized that the September 2024 election rendered the previous one irrelevant, effectively “resetting the clock” on the issue.
“While four candidates initially contested the May election, for the September 2024 rerun, only Joana Gyan Cudjoe and the incumbent Peter Kwakye-Ackah filed and went through the party process. The election, conducted in accordance with all party rules and electoral guidelines, was supervised by the Electoral Commission itself, which was duly informed of every step we took”.
Hon. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, NDC General Secretary
A Blatant Miscarriage of Justice
Despite the fresh election, the EC, according to the NDC, has clung to the expired injunction as the basis for disqualifying Madam Gyan Cudjoe
Hon. Kwetey noted that the May election, which was the subject of the injunction, no longer exists, adding that it was annulled and replaced by the September 2024 election, which has not been challenged in any court of law.
However, Hon. Kwetey expressed disappointment, chastising the EC for seeking to use the expired legal order to disqualify the opposition party’s candidate.
The NDC accused the EC of recklessness, stating that their actions were not only legally baseless but an affront to democracy.
Hon. Kwetey argued that the decision to disqualify Joana Gyan Cudjoe was designed to “gift the Amenfi Central seat to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on a silver platter.”
“This is nothing short of a travesty of justice. It is a violation of the rights of our candidate and, more importantly, a violation of the rights of the people of Amenfi Central, who have made their voices heard through their votes. The decision to disqualify Joana Gyan Cudjoe is legally baseless, morally indefensible, and a slap in the face of our democratic principles.
“The Electoral Commission must explain to Ghanaians how they can justify such a blatant miscarriage of justice. They must explain how they can disenfranchise thousands of voters based on a court order tied to an election that no longer exists”.
Hon. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, NDC General Secretary
Echoes of SALL: A Broader Agenda
Hon. Kwetey drew parallels between the disqualification of Joana Gyan Cudjoe and the disenfranchisement of the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) in the 2020 elections.
“This is part of a broader pattern of misconduct by the Jean Mensa-led EC, which has repeatedly shown that it is unfit to referee the democratic process,” Hon. Kwetey charged.
He accused the EC of engaging in a “dangerous intent to rig elections not through the ballot box, but through legal trickery and administrative subterfuge.”
The chief scribe of the NDC also revealed that the EC had issued the letter of disqualification on October 10, six days before inquiring with the Sekondi High Court about the status of the injunction—a move he said exposed the EC’s “bad faith” and political bias.
A Sinister Agenda to Favor the NPP
For Hon. Kwetey it is becoming increasingly clear that the Electoral Commission is no longer a neutral arbiter in the country’s democratic process.
He argued that the Commission has rather become a tool in the hands of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), to suppress opposition candidates and skew the playing field in their favor.
He strongly stated that the EC’s actions in Amenfi Central are but the latest in a series of calculated moves designed to deliver a parliamentary majority to the NPP by any means necessary.
“The disqualification of Joana Gyan is an attempt to gift the Amenfi Central seat to the NPP on a silver platter, just as they did in Hohoe with Peter Amewu. This is not mere incompetence. This is deliberate, premeditated, and unlawful conduct.
Jean Mensa and her cronies are operating with impunity because they believe that they are untouchable. They believe that the NPP’s foothold in the EC grants them the license to abuse their power without consequence. But we are here to tell them that they are wrong”.
Hon. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, NDC General Secretary
NDC’s Legal Battle: “We Will Not Fold Our Arms”
In response to the disqualification, Hon. Kwetey pointed out that the NDC has mobilized its legal team to challenge the EC’s decision in court.
He announced that former President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC leadership had issued a directive to take legal action against the EC. “We will fight this in the courts, in the public arena, and every forum available to us,” he vowed.
According to him, the NDC is seeking an injunction to restrain the EC from printing ballot papers or issuing notices of the poll, ensuring that Gyan Cudjoe’s disqualification does not stand.
In closing, Hon. Kwetey warned that the NDC would not allow the EC’s actions to go unchecked, asserting that “This is a fight for our democracy, and we will not lose“.
“This is not just about a parliamentary seat; this is about protecting the fundamental rights of Ghanaians to choose their representatives freely,” he said, adding that the NDC would pursue every available legal and democratic avenue to overturn the disqualification.
The press conference ended with a call to the Ghanaian public to remain vigilant, as Hon. Kwetey underscored the stakes involved: “If we do not stop the EC now, tomorrow it could be your constituency, your representative, your right to vote that is denied.”
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