Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, among other independent candidates yesterday filed their presidential nomination forms.
Apart from John Mahama, whose forms was submitted on his behalf by the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, all the other seven candidates filed their forms themselves and was received by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, at the EC headquarters in Accra.
Among those who filed include Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, independent presidential aspirant of the New Force Movement (NFM), Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar and presidential candidate of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) Kofi Akpaloo.
The rest are independent presidential aspirant, George Twum-Barima, flagbearer of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, Samuel Apea-Danquah of Yellow Ghana and leader of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Christian Kwabena Andrews.
Addressing journalists, Mr. Asiedu Nketia commended the EC for some of its processes, particularly making the forms available online to make it easily accessible.
He also presented a bankers draft covering the filing fees and a declaration from the Audit Service in compliance with Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution.
Flagbearer of the All Peoples Congress, after filing his nomination forms, commenting on the 2012 elections said signatories were not rubber stamps that could be perfect and, therefore, justified that his disqualification at that time was wrong.
Leader of the Ghana Union Movement, Christian Kwabena Andrews, also said the EC has performed well in the discharge of its duties over the years.
He said his campaign would soon begin as soon as the EC provides a timetable for the rest of the processes, and was highly optimistic that Ghanaians were going to appreciate his policies on industrialisation and old age benefits when elected as president of the country.
He further urged the youth not to use any platform to embark on demonstrations that may not serve the best interest of the country, while urging them to be law abiding before, during and after the elections.
Presidential aspirant of the New Force Movement, Nana Kwame Bediako, also expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for embracing the ideas of the movement.
According to him, Ghanaians would have an opportunity on December 7 to select him as president among several candidates, as he is one of the young presidential aspirants with policies geared towards addressing the challenges facing Ghanaians, especially the youth.
He also hinted of plans to unveil his running mate, even though the running mates of other candidates were known to Ghanaians.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah
