The Electoral Commission (EC) has clarified its position on votes that may be cast for the late Madam Akua Donkor, the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) flagbearer, in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections.
According to a statement signed by the Deputy EC Chair for Operations, Samuel Tettey, all votes cast in favour of the late Madam Akua Donkor will be classified as rejected ballots and will not count toward the valid votes in the election.
This decision follows the inclusion of Akua Donkor’s name and party logo on the ballot, before her passing on October 29, 2024, after the printing of ballots had commenced.
The GFP had nominated a replacement, Philip Kubi, the running mate of the Late Madam Akua Donkor but he was disqualified by the Electoral Commission due to errors and alleged irregularities discovered in his nomination documents.
EC Chair Jean Mensa made this announcement during a press conference on Tuesday, 12 November, emphasising that the disqualification followed a careful review of the party’s submission.
Jean Mensa noted that although the EC provided the GFP with an opportunity to rectify the issues, certain irregularities could not be ignored.
Despite the GFP’s efforts to address some of the discrepancies, Madam Mensa explained that elements of Mr Kubi’s documentation were found to be “illegitimate” under the nation’s electoral laws, leading to his disqualification from the election.
