Court disqualifies NDC candidate

…For Illegal Registration

The Sekondi District Court One “B” has granted an application of objection brought before it on the registration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)Parliamentary Candidate for Sekondi, Captain Anthony Cudjoe (retired), as a voter in the Sekondi Constituency.

Captain Cudjoe, who is also the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), is resident in a government bungalow with house number PT 25 in the Ridge Ministries Electoral Area within the Essikado-Ketan Constituency but was said to have registered during the recent biometric voters registration, at the Zongo Estate Electoral Area in the Sekondi Constituency.

The Applicant, Alhaji Osumanu Mohammed, a former Sekondi Constituency 1st Vice Chairman of the NDC, filed the suit after the recent voters exhibition exercise had confirmed that the MCE registered in the Sekondi Constituency.

Counsel for the Applicant, Sam Amoah, told the court that the respondent used house number PT 25, situated in the Ridge Ministries Electoral Area which falls in the Essikado-Ketan Constituency to register at the Zongo Estate Electoral Area in Sekondi.

He argued that this was in contravention of the Constitutional Instrument CI72 which spelt out the guidelines for the registration.

According to him, although the respondent was a native of Sekondi, his action could not be justified per the provision of the CI72.

But, Counsel for the Respondent, F.F. Faidoo, contended that his client could register anywhere and later transfer his vote to a convenient Electoral Area.

He said his client was a native of Sekondi and had a family house there, therefore was eligible to register in Sekondi.

However, the Magistrate, Samuel Entee Jnr, in his ruling on Friday, said the objection raised by the applicant was sustained.

He said although it was not disputable that the respondent was a native of Sekondi and had a family house with house number 23 Ketan Road in Sekondi, he did not use the said family house number in his registration as a voter.

He indicated that, house number PT 25 which the respondent used in registering, falls within the Essikado-Ketan Constituency and therefore could not be used to register in Sekondi.

Based on this, he granted the application of objection.

Captain Cudjoe may therefore face serious sanctions for committing an electoral offense and also may not be able to contest the parliamentary seat since by this ruling, he is currently not a registered voter.