A disqualified presidential aspirant on the ticket of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike has demanded from the Electoral Commission (EC) explanations to why he was unfairly booted out of the 2020 presidential race.
According to him, his documents and forms were clean and without issues and insisted that his documents were filed correctly compared to some nine (9) candidates cleared by the EC to contest the December 7 presidential elections.
He made this declaration in an interview with Samuel Eshun, host of the Happy Morning Show aired on Happy 98.9 FM and e.TV Ghana. “My documents were better than 80% of qualified presidential aspirants. This is the third (3rd) time I have filed my nomination to contest a presidential election and I have always sailed through in the previous ones so what changed now?” he asked.
He furthered that he is yet to hear from the EC concerning why he was disqualified. “The EC is yet to give us reasons for our disqualification. As political parties, we deal with the EC via documentations and not in the media. I have heard reasons in the media and not from the EC”, he reiterated.
Odike added that the Electoral Commissioner also referred to a different person and not him per her statements he has seen and heard via the media. “The name she used on social media was Kwasi Odike but my real name is Akwasi Addai Odike so what does that mean?” he said.
The businessman cum politician indicating some underhanded dealings leading to his disqualification motioned that the EC always alerted aspirants to make corrections in their filing forms. “I did all the necessary corrections and moved through the various stages with ease. They never raised red flags about the signatories on my endorsement form”.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana has cleared Twelve (12) presidential candidates to contest the 2020 presidential race whilst disqualifying five (5) out of the 17 parties and individuals who filed nominations to contest at the December 7 polls.
The 5 disqualified are; Kofi Koranteng, Marricke Kofi Gane, Akwasi Addae Odike of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Kwasi Busumbru of the People’s Action Party (PAP), and Nana Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP).
By: Joel Sanco
