Joana Gyan Cudjoe will be on the ballot for the parliamentary elections in December 2024, according to confirmation from Dr. Bossman Asare, the EC’s Deputy Chairperson in charge of Corporate Services.
This comes after a previous injunction that had barred her from running for office was lifted by the Sekondi High Court on November 11, 2024.
Dr. Asare clarified in an interview with GHOne TV on Monday, November 18, 2024, that Joana Gyan was not permitted to run in the Amenfi Central parliamentary elections by the EC because of the High Court’s order against her candidacy.
According to him, the commission will take the necessary actions since the most recent court decision allows Gyan to freely contest.
“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,” Bossman stated.
Reiterating the EC’s stance on Joana Gyan’s disqualification, Dr. Bossman Asare said the commission was right to deny her the opportunity to run in the Amenfi Central parliamentary elections.
He clarified that the EC was involved in the High Court’s injunction procedure and that disobeying the court order would have resulted in contempt of court.
“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,” Bossman added.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com