Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Boamah Otokunor has described as ridiculous the Electoral Commission Chairperson’s disappointment over the failure of the NDC’s flagbearer to personally submit his nomination forms to the commission.
According to Mr. Otokunor, the concerns of madam Jean Mensa over John Dramani Mahama’s absence during the filing of his nomination forms is an indication of her lack of understanding of the laws and guidelines of the institution she heads and an amplification of her incompetence as the EC’s Chairperson.
He argued that, per the laws and regulations of the commission, presidential aspirants are at liberty to either submit their nomination papers themselves or through their representatives to the EC hence, the EC chairperson’s remark is mischievous and petty.
“It is most ridiculous for the Electoral Commission to have even made that statement in the first place. It shows her lack of appreciation of what is done at the Electoral Commission’s office. Filing, according to their own laws and guidelines, are not necessarily supposed to be done by flagbearer. So if president Akufo-Addo decided to go and file the nominations, does that mean that former president Mahama’s must also go and file his?,” he stated.
“Your regulations stipulate that we should bring representatives or if we want the flagbearer himself should come. And so we have brought representatives and you mischievously and rather on a low level make this comment? I think that that exposed them very badly. It shows that she doesn’t know her job and it amplifies the level of incompetence,” he further stated.
Chairperson of the EC expressed her disappointment over the absence of the presidential candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama during the filing of his nomination forms at the EC’s headquarters by the General of the party, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah on his behalf on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.
Madam Jean Mensa stated that the former president’s presence at the filing of his nominations will afford the commission an opportunity to engage Mr. Mahama in order to address concerns he and his party have raised publicly.
But Mr. Otokunor who sounded displeased with madam Jean Mensa’s comments contended that “if they (EC) really worried about the concerns that we have raised and they want to listen to our concerns once again, they know how to achieve that. They know how to call for a meeting. If indeed, they want to have a meeting with the former president, all the need is to write a letter and request for a meeting. And we will be readily available because we want to be heard but this is for filing.”
