The National Communications Director of the Action People’s Party (APP), Danso Debrah Beduako, has alleged ‘foul play’ by the Electoral Commission (EC) following the disqualification of the party’s candidate.
According to him, the EC disqualified the party’s candidate, David Ankomah, over his inability to provide a tax clearance form, a reason he described as strange.
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Speaking on Neat FM, on August 26, Danso Debrah questioned why the EC would require him to present such a form, arguing that their candidate is a government health worker who automatically pays taxes, not a businessman.
“The EC is not being fair. The Deputy Commissioner of the EC, Tettey, demanded a tax clearance certificate from our candidate, David Ankomah, who is very popular in Akwatia. Our candidate works for the government and pays taxes and so, why would they request a tax clearance certificate?
“It would have made sense to demand the tax clearance certificate if the candidate owned a business. We have taken the matter to court. Everyone in Akwatia knows our candidate and it seems they are worried about that,” he said.
The party communicator further challenged the EC’s disqualification of their candidate on grounds that they, together with other political parties, met with the EC and the police leadership.
He also disclosed that the APP had been placed third on the ballot paper, hence questioned the motive behind the sudden disqualification.
He suggested that the sudden demand for the tax clearance certificate may have been due to the growing popularity of their candidate, which apparently posed a threat to certain individuals.
Danso said that not even the submission of the candidate’s pay slip would change the EC’s position, that is why the party has taken the matter to court to seek an injunction on the election.
“We, together with other parties, met with the EC and police earlier. If we were not qualified, we wouldn’t have been allowed to meet them. We were 3rd on the ballot; only for them to disqualify us in the dying minute because of a supposed tax clearance form. We even sent the candidate’s pay slip as a health worker, but the EC insisted on the clearance form,” he said.
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“… They sent us a message on August 18 in the evening only to demand for the form the next day. Everything shows there is something fishy ongoing. A tax clearance form is the only reason the EC disqualified him? and they are supposed to be neutral? They know what they are doing, that is why they were specific with this demand. We await the court’s decision,” he said.
The party has since filed a suit at the High Court to challenge the EC’s disqualification of David Ankomah and he is also seeking to halt the election until the court rules on the matter.
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