Six candidates have been approved by the Electoral Commission (EC) to run in the Tuesday, April 30, Ejisu by-election.
This occurs after the nomination period expired on Thursday, April 18, and several candidates rushed to turn in their forms at the Ashanti Region EC office.
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate, lawyer Kwabena Boateng, was ranked number two, while former Member of Parliament Ing. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, who is running as an independent, is ranked number four. Third place goes to Beatrice Boakye of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
Esther Osei of the Convention People’s Party has selected the top spot. Joseph Attakora and Gabriel Agyemang Joseph, two further independent contenders, are ranked five and six, respectively.
Confusion ensued when several Convention People’s Party (CPP) executives prevented their parliamentary candidate, Esther Osei, from submitting her nomination paperwork.
According to reports, Emmanuel Gallo, the party’s regional chairman, told the EC not to accept the documents, trapping Maadam Osei’s campaign team.
This is the result of a legal battle that is still going on within the CPP after many of the party’s senior officials resigned in large numbers. Eric Osei Boateng, a deputy national organizer, chastised the regional chairman for his behavior.
“Of late there has been some internal wrangling in our party which has since been resolved by the High Court… So, at the last committee meeting the Council resolved to contest the by-election only to be told by the EC officers that our candidate can’t file. But after reaching out to the EC regional office and headquarters the nomination forms have been received”, Osei Boateng explained.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com