Ghana election 2024: Why late presidential candidate Akua Donkor name go remain for ballot paper

One of di presidential candidates wey dey contest di general election for Ghana wey don die, go still dey on top of di ballot paper.

Di Ghana freedom party (GFP) candidate Akua Donkor, 72, bin die last month afta im sick for sometime.

Di electoral commission tell di party make dem find pesin wey go replace am for di election.

Di GFP agree say dia vice presidential candidate go replace madam Akua Donkor as di main candidate.

But days afta di vice presidential candidate wey im name na Philip Appiah Kubi aka Roman father submit im nomination forms to di electoral commission, im dey disqualified.

Oga for di commission tok for one press conference say “di candiate dey disqualified sake of im documents get irregularities.”

“We bin tell di party say make dem correct di problems wit di documents wey we also find say some of di documents na illegitimate,” madam Jean Mensa explain.

Di EC boss add say “di law require say make di party use two registered voters from each district make dem endorse di nomination of di presidential candidate. But we find say some of dem use names and details of voters for different districts to represent oda districts.”

Dis na some of di reasons why di electoral bin disqualify di GFP candidate wey dey replace dia first candidate wey die last month.

According to oga of di electoral commission, dem go maintain di dead candidate for di ballot paper for di elections

In di 2020 elections, Akua Donkor bin get 2,681 votes (0.02%).

Oga for di election management body for di kontri Madam Jean Mensa say “printing of ballot papers for di election don dey 90% complete.”

“We no go change am wia di positions of di various parties and di independent candidates go dey. We go maintain di photo of di late Akua Donkor, im name and im position (number 3) for di ballot paper.”

Di EC don say dem go do public education bifor di election wey dem go tell pipo say make dem no vote for di candidate wey don die.

If pipo still go ahead to vote for di dead candidate during di 7 December election, those votes go dey invalid.

According to di electoral law of Ghana, if a presidential or parliamentary candidate don die afta dem close nomination but bifor an election, di electoral commission get to allow a10-day period for di party to file new nomination, if di party bin nominate di one wey die.

Di constitution also bin provide say “if di pesin die within 25 days bifor di election, election for dat constituency or unit get to be postponed for 21-days from di date dem nominate di new candidate.”

In di case wia di candidate don die on a day bifor di election, wey dem don inform di returning officer bifor voting go begin, di returning officer go suspend di election process and inform di electoral commission

Di commission go now adjourn di vote and dem go follow di same process wia dem go allow 10 days for new nomination of candidate.

But di law no provide for wetin di electoral commission get to do in terms of whether dem for remove di name and photo of di dead pesin and re-arrange di list on top di ballot paper or how make di electoral commission do am

“We for use dis experience make provision for wetin di EC get to do about arrangement of di candidates on di ballot if one candidate die”.

Ghana dey go to di polls on 7 December to elect who go be dia president and 275 parliamentarians.

Di frontrunners for di election na former President John Mahama of di opposition NDC who dey face current vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of di NPP.

Oda candidates like Alan Kyerematen and businessman Nana Kwame Bediako be di oda independent candidates wey don dey try to cause upset.

In all, thirteen candidates dey on top of di ballot paper for di 7 December polls.

Out of di 13, two of dem na females wey one of dem Akua Donkor don die.

So only one female candidate remain – Nana Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumankumah wey dey stand for di convention people’s party (CPP).