EC disqualifies Akua Donkor's replacement, Roman Fada, over illegalities

The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has disqualified Philip Appiah Kubi, known in the media as Roman Fada, the Ghana Freedom Party’s (GFP) replacement flagbearer, after uncovering errors and illegalities on his nomination form.

This announcement was made by EC Chair Jean Mensa at a press conference held on Tuesday, 12 November, 2024.

Despite allowing the party to correct these discrepancies, Jean Mensa stated that certain irregularities could not be overlooked, leading to the EC’s decision to disqualify Kubi from contesting in the upcoming election.

The GFP initially faced a major setback following the death of its founding leader and original flagbearer, Akua Donkor. Her unexpected death on 15 October left the party scrambling to find a replacement for the December 2024 presidential election.

In response, the EC granted the GFP a 10-day window to submit a new flagbearer nomination, which led to Kubi’s appointment.

However, upon review, the EC identified several issues with Kubi’s documentation that went beyond simple clerical errors. EC Chair Jean Mensa explained that while the party corrected some of the identified errors, other elements were deemed “illegitimate” and could not be accepted under electoral laws.

Jean Mensa emphasised that the EC’s mandate to uphold the integrity of the electoral process prevents the acceptance of any irregularities, regardless of the party’s attempts to rectify them.

The Passing of Akua Donkor

Akua Donkor, the founder of the Ghana Freedom Party, died on Monday, October 28, 2024, at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital due to respiratory issues, as confirmed by her 2020 running mate, Ernest 'Adakabre' Frimpong Manso. Before her death, she was positioned as number 3 on the ballot and was 83 years old.

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