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Eight presidential aspirants, including the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), yesterday filed their nomination forms at the Electoral Commission (EC) to contest the 2024 presidential election.
The orderly process, done according to pre-arranged schedules, was one more of the key steps in the process towards the highly anticipated polls on December 7.
Those who also filed yesterday included Hassan Ayariga of the All People’s Congress (APC), Christian Kwabena Andrews of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), and Percival Kofi Akpaloo of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
Nana Kwame Bediako, who has christened his adventure the New Force Movement, Samuel Apea-Danquah and George Twum-Barima-Adu, all independent presidential aspirants, also filed their documents with the elections management body in Accra yesterday.
Apart from former President Mahama and Mr Andrews, leader of GUM, all the other aspirants, accompanied by leading party members or close allies, filed personally.
Indeed, there was hardly any drama as enthusiastic supporters of the parties and prospective candidates mainly restricted themselves to morale inspiring cheers as their respective leadership filed as part of the process.
The Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, personally received the nominationforms, and said a review of the forms would begin immediately.
Mrs Mensa also gave an assurance that the presidential and parliamentary elections would be free and fair.
Officials indicated to the Daily Graphic that the EC would be available to receive other nomination forms between tomorrow and Friday.
Dr Bawumia, accompanied by his wife, Samira; his running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and his wife, Alma Pokua Adade-Prempeh, was the first to submit his nomination forms at about 9:30 a.m.
He was supported by the National Chairman of the NPP, Stephen Ntim; the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, and other leading members of the party.
Upon completing the process, Dr Bawumia thanked God for the occasion, stressing that it was an historic opportunity for him to submit his forms to the EC for the first time as a presidential candidate.
He asked all to pray for God’s blessings for the country ahead of the December 7 general election.
The NPP flag bearer also called for prayers and support for the EC to enable the electoral body to deliver on its mandate, saying the job of the EC was a difficult one.
Dr Bawumia said the EC was usually tagged the scapegoat by losers during an election process, and prayed that the body, acting through its staff, officers and commissioners, would gain the mental strength and fortitude to run the elections successfully.
He, however, expressed the optimism that the EC would live up to the task of conducting another free, fair and transparent election, and that the country was in an enviable position as far as the conduct of elections was concerned.
The NPP flag bearer further expressed the hope that the party would emerge victorious in the elections.
“Historically, I think Ghana is in an enviable position as far as the conduct of elections is concerned, and I believe that Madam Chair and your team will live up to it.
But let’s continue to pray for God’s blessings for the EC and also pray for God’s blessings for the New Patriotic Party, myself and my team so that we will emerge victorious in this election,” Dr Bawumia added.
The National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, accompanied by a delegation of party officials, including the General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, and Director of IT and Elections, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, submitted the nomination forms of the party's flag bearer, John Dramani Mahama, to the EC.
Speaking to the media after the submission, Mr Nketia said the party had serious issues concerning the credibility of the 2024 voters register, and insisted that only a forensic audit of the register could help to address the concerns of the party.
He said calling on external partners to fund the audit of the register was not new as the United Nations sponsored an independent consultant to probe the register in 2016 which resulted in the acceptance of the results of the 2016 elections.
The National Chairman of the party said the credibility of the register was crucial for the outcome of the election, and so “if you get the register wrong, then you are beginning on a weak foundation”.
“We have serious concerns about the process so far, and I believe we are engaging, and that is the purpose of the engagement, so that we can get mutual conclusions that are acceptable to everybody.
“But we are not willing to give up our rights at all getting into these elections. And so we are hopeful that the commission will listen and discharge its responsibilities in a manner that will be satisfactory to all participating parties,” Mr Nketia said.
Mr Nketiah said the NDC had put in place internal mechanisms to ensure a peaceful electoral process, as indications from the party’s engagement across the nation showed that there was “change in the air”.
“From our rounds, all indications show that change is in the air. We just created our programmes to secure the peace of the country before, during, and after elections.
We wish to urge the commission to also play its role as a neutral arbiter,” Mr Nketia said. The party, he said, would embark on a nationwide demonstration to press home its concerns.
Mr Ayariga charged all the other candidates to have trust in the EC to do the right thing to ensure the election of the people’s choice to steer the affairs of the country.
The General Secretary of GUM, Anthony Gold Ahinful, who represented the leader of the party, said the movement expected free, fair and transparent elections.
The Leader of the New Force, Nana Bediako, thanked the EC for the work it had done over the years in the conduct of elections.
He said democracy “works in this country, and we appreciate that very much”.
Mr Akpaloo called on Ghanaians to rally behind him and the LPG for victory in the elections.
