GAPI members threatens legal action against election committee

Kumasi, Sept.26, GNA - Aggrieved members of the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industry (GAPI) in the Ashanti Region, have given the Election Committee a 48-hour ultimatum, to reinstate the names of members in good standing in the electoral roll or face legal action. They claim that their names were removed without any justifiable reason.

A petition filed on their behalf by Dwumfour & Dwumfour, a Kumasi-based legal firm to the Election Committee and copied to the Chairman of the Interim Management warned that failure to comply with their demand within the stipulated period, would force them to take legal means to stop the elections. The petitioners are Messrs Tony Amoah of Castro Music Productions, Kojo Braimah of Tali Mola Music Productions, A.F Samuel of AF Samuel Productions, Nana Yaw Obeng of Movee Productions and Erasmus Osei Owusu of Oseiwus Ventures, all in Kumasi.

The election has been scheduled for Friday, October, 2. According to the petitioners, the unilateral decision by the Committee to delete the names of some members without any reason was a calculated attempt to disenfranchise majority of members and impose their favourites on the Association.

Its action has confirmed speculations in the Association that members of the Committee were making frantic efforts to support particular candidates to win the election. They argued that the Election committee has no legal right to de-register any member of the Association since that remained the preserve of the General Assembly. They insisted that the Committee should publish a new register and cause an audit of the accounts of the present Board before the elections.

The aggrieved members asked the Committee to desist from openly campaigning for some candidates to the disadvantage of other contestants, saying, it was causing wrangling and confusion in the Association. The Committee should rather focus on ensuring free, fair and a credible election.