With 27 days for Ghanaians to decide who leads them in the next four years, the news media on Wednesday, 9th November, 2016 were dominated by the following:
According to the Daily Graphic, ‘Nine (9) Aspirants re-submit forms’. The EC will today determine the fate of the 9 aspirants who resubmitted their nominations forms to the Commission yesterday, as ordered by the Supreme Court. The Daily Guide headline, ‘13 ‘Presidents’ Fate Hangs’ as the Electoral Commission (EC) fails to reach a decision about their nomination yesterday. The Ghanaian Times reports headline, ‘Who Gets the nod?’ The paper focuses on, 8 of the political parties, and an independent candidate disqualified from participating in December 7 elections due to errors on their nominations forms have made the corrections and resubmitted their forms to the Electoral Commission. Today also reports that ‘Nduom Submits forms after amending errors’. The progressive People’s Party yesterday replaced the subscriber, Richard Aseda, whose double endorsement led to the disqualification of the party’s flagbearer, Dr Papa Kwasi Nduom from the 2016 presidential race while the Finder Newspaper reports that the disqualified ‘Aspirants are on Edge as EC determine their fate today’. The fate of the 8 out of 13 disqualified presidential candidates who were able to meet the 5 pm deadline to make corrections on their nomination forms at the office of the Electoral Commission, would be determined be close of day today.
Another headline making the rounds in the news is Supreme Court (SC) Hears Special Voting Suit Today. The SC had ordered parties in the case brought against the EC over the counting of special votes to file their memorandum of agreed issues before close of yesterday, so they Court could give verdict today.
In addition, the EC Boss Plans Rigging Polls – Amidu also featured prominently. The former Attorney General and the Minister of Justice, Mr Martin A.B.K Amidu has alleged that the Chair Person of the Electoral Commission, Ms Charlotte Osei is still determined to rig the upcoming elections by disqualifying all the 13 aspiring candidates again.
Furthermore, the call by the Peace Council on the EC to defuse tension in the December polls also featured. The National Peace Council has counseled the EC to abide by the Supreme Court fiat that the disqualified political parties should be given a second chance to fix errors on their nomination forms.
Also, CDD-Ghana Cautions EC received some attention in the media. The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) fears the new twist to the issue of the EC finding new errors in the nomination forms of the disqualified aspirants has the potential to create political chaos.
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