Nana Kwame Bediako, an independent candidate for president, says he plans to form a political party in order to further his goals.
However, the Electoral Commission’s supposed tardiness had thrown a wrench into his plans.
Speaking on JoyNews AM Show, the real estate tycoon disclosed that, having complied with all constitutional requirements, his team had submitted an application to the EC to register his political party.
Three months after submitting his application, Cheddar, as he is also known, has not received a response from the EC.
This is true even though Act 574 (8)(2) of the I992 Constitution states that, “The commission shall, not later than seven days after the receipt of application, issue to the political party a provisional certificate of registration and shall cause a notice of the application to be published in the Gazette after receipt, inviting objections from any person, concerning the name, aim, objects, constitution, rules, symbols, slogans and colours of the party.”
Despite having complied with all constitutional requirements, Nana Kwame Bediako observed that the EC has not responded.
“We do have a manifesto. We have a manifesto, we have a constitution and we have built 16 offices in the 16 regions. We’ve read the constitution and we’ve followed what we had to do, put in the application for a political party but we were not responded to by the EC.
“After the seven days, when you pay and you submit after the seven days, it’s been three months. We wrote a letter again and they haven’t responded,” he said.
Nonetheless, he remains optimistic that the EC will eventually react to his application and take the necessary action.
Nana Kwame Bediako noted that, while he awaits confirmation from the EC, he is going to go ahead and pursue his presidential ambition as an independent candidate, centering the pertinent issues needed to develop Ghana.
“But I hope that the EC can hear me and say that let’s respond to this young man and we’re supposed to give him his provisional license so you know – if they had given us that we’ll be talking about the actual party and using the logos and using maybe our mottos and slogans and stuff like that.
“But since that has not happened, it doesn’t mean that it should stop the conversation or stop the mission or even restrict the vision. We’re still going ahead, we’re still going ahead with the New Force Movement,” he said.
We have applied to create a political party but, we haven't received a response from the EC yet – Nana Kwame Bediako#AdomNews
Kennedy Agyapong Yvonne Nelson Otumfuo Asamoah Gyan #TheNewForce Sarkodie Mahama Safo Newman Obinim Kid Cudi #NoGreeForAnybody Tonali pic.twitter.com/eNiYiYWPAK
— Adom TV (@adom_tv) January 12, 2024