The leadership of Akua Donkor’s Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) is divided over whether the party should continue to participate in the 2024 presidential election after the death of their founder last week, just a few weeks before the December 7 elections.
While the General Secretary of the GFP, George Afful, in a letter dated Monday, November 4, 2024, addressed to the Electoral Commissioner, announced that the party had nominated the vice presidential candidate, Philip Appiah Kubi, commonly known as ‘Roman Fada’, to replace the late Akua Donkor as the presidential candidate, the National Organiser, Richard Botchway, in another letter dated Tuesday, November 5, 2024, also addressed to the EC, announced that the party was withdrawing from the race.
Roman Fada, in some correspondence from the GFP, has been referred to as Philip Kwabena Agyemang, but the GFP General Secretary’s letter to the EC introduced him as Philip Appiah Kubi.
Both letters were received by the Electoral Commission on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
However, Graphic Online has reported that the letter from the General Secretary is the one the commission is working with.
The commission has since received the nomination forms from ‘Roman Fada’ as the presidential candidate replacement for Akua Donkor.
Roman Fada has also nominated one Vida Eshun as his running mate.
Sources at the Electoral Commission have told Graphic Online that the commission is reviewing the nomination forms and is expected to provide feedback to the party within 24 hours, or by Thursday, November 7, on whether or not the presidential candidate and the running mate meet the necessary qualifications.
Following the General Secretary’s letter, Roman Fada filed his nomination forms at exactly 1:07 p.m. on Tuesday, which included Vida Eshun as his running mate. The Deputy Chairman at the EC in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey, received the forms.
GFP National Organiser’s Letter
In his letter dated November 5, the National Organiser of the GFP, Richard Botchway, indicated that the party was formally withdrawing from the December 7 presidential election due to the death of their founder and presidential candidate, Akua Donkor.
He said the intention was to honour the commitment and sacrifices of Madam Donkor, who was the driving force and sole candidate for the party.
He indicated that it was a decision taken by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the GFP in consultation with the family of Akua Donkor.
“This decision, irrespective of how difficult it may be, has been reached to posthumously honour the commitment and sacrifices made by our late founder and presidential candidate,” the letter stated.
He said the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the GFP, in arriving at that decision, also regrets any disruption the withdrawal may create for the Electoral Commission’s preparations.
However, they affirmed the party’s readiness to participate in future elections organized by the commission.
Attached below is a copy of the letter from the General Secretary of the GFP, introducing Philip Appiah Kubi as the replacement for Akua Donkor.
The Electoral Commission (EC) last week suspended the printing of presidential ballot papers for Election 2024 following the sudden death of Akua Donkor, the presidential candidate of the GFP.
The EC gave the GFP 10 days to nominate a new presidential candidate.
The EC quoted Article 50(4) of the 1992 Constitution to support the move of giving the GFP 10 days. It states: “Where, at the close of nominations, but before the election, one of the candidates dies, a further period of ten days shall be allowed for nominations…”
The Commission explained that while the 1992 Constitution and the Public Elections Regulations, 2020, C.I. 127, are not clear on processes to follow in the event of the death of a presidential candidate, Article 50(4) of the 1992 Constitution provides as follows: “Where, at the close of nominations, but before the election, one of the candidates dies, a further period of ten days shall be allowed for nominations…”
Madam Akua Donkor founded the GFP in 2011 and got it registered in 2012.
This was after she had served as an Assembly Member at Hemang in the Kwabre East District.
From Assembly Member, she moved to the constituency level and filed to contest as a Member of Parliament for Kwabre East in the Ashanti Region. She competed with the late Emmanuel Owusu Ansah, a former Judicial Secretary and former Ashanti Regional Minister, who beat Akua Donkor and served two terms on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
After two failed attempts in the parliamentary elections in 2004 and 2008, and determined to advance her political career, she moved up into the presidential race and formed the GFP in 2011.
She filed to contest the 2024 presidential election on the ticket of the GFP and had been attending all IPAC meetings and political party events herself.
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