The drama and fun at the filing of nomination

By Edmund Mingle
Octobr 18,2008

Eight people are set to be on the presidential ballot for the 2008 elections after the EC officially declared them candidates.

At close of filing of nominations yesterday, Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Prof. Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People’s Party(CPP), Dr. Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Emmanuel Ansah Antwi of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Thomas Ward Brew of the Democratic People’s Party, (DPP), Kwabena Adjei of the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah, an independent candidate, were those who had successfully filed their papers to contest.

There other presidential aspirants, consisting of Dan Lartey of the Great Consolidated People’s Party, Prophet Daniel Nkansah of the New Vision Party and Warrant Officer (rtd) Richard Nixon Tetteh, a independent aspirant, were disqualified by the Electoral Commissioner amidst drama.

The filing process yesterday, although without tension as witnessed the previous day when the big parties filed, was characterized by lot of drama, as the unseriousness exhibited by the three disqualified aspirants created a lot of laughter.

For instance, although Dan Lartey arrived at 3:30pm, he said he would be the last to present his forms, and therefore allowed other like Ward Brew, Kwabena Adjei and WO1 Tetteh to go before him.

And when he finally appeared before the Commissioners at 5:15pm, 15minutes after the deadline he pleaded the EC Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Djan to give him an hour so that his General Secretary who was locked up in traffic, to get to premises with the forms.

The Chairman agreed and gave him a 30minutes grace period, but when the General Secretary arrived with the forms, the Commissioners detected that they were so many anomalies, with some of forms not endorsed by his supporters from the various constituencies.
He had no tax clearance certificate and pictures as well.

“I am sorry uncle, we can’t endorse you as presidential candidate,” Dr. Afari-Djan told him as he returned the forms to him.

Similarly, Prophet Nkansah, who arrived at the premises with an Imam as his running mate, and surrounded by body guards, presented only half of the forms which were also not fully completed.

Prophet Nkansah, who looked confused when the Chairman asked of the where about of the other forms.

He took the forms from the Chairman and dashed out of the room, and did not return until nominations closed.