2016 polls: ‘Greenhorn’ EC boss needs Afari Gyan’s help - Ayariga

For the Electoral Commission (EC) to deliver free and fair elections come December 7, the experience of the former chairperson of the commission, Dr. Afari Gyan will be required, according to the flag bearer of the All People’s Party (APC), Hassan Ayariga.

Dr. Gyan’s involvement, according to him, is non-negotiable owing to the "inexperience" displayed by the current chair of the commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei.

“The lady [Charlotte Osei] needs Afari Gyan to come on board... I think Afari Gyan must come in. I think they need him. We must all admit at a point in time that we make mistakes but this is a huge one,” Mr. Ayariga said on Monday in an interview with Class FM, shortly after the Supreme Court dismissed the commission’s suit challenging a High Court ruling asking it to allow Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom to correct errors on his nomination form.

“They need the assistance of Dr. Afari Gyan … so that we can have peaceful, credible, fair elections…,” he added. He predicted that the elections will be chaotic if Dr Gyan does not step in to fix the "mess" being created by his successor.

According Mr. Ayariga, “experience matters a lot” in the discharge of credible elections, which Mrs. Osei grossly lacks.

He said: “This is what we are now experiencing... They have a problem of decision-making, so, how credible are you? … Decision-making determines competence, so, if you have serious issues with decision-making, then how competent are you…?”

The Supreme Court on Monday morning threw out the EC's suit challenging the High court ruling asking them to allow the PPP's presidential candidate, Dr. Nduom to correct his nomination form errors.

A Seven-member panel on the Monday ruling asked the election management body to extend the nomination period to November 8, and allow the candidates to correct their mistakes in order to contest the polls.

The court also ordered the discontinuation of the various court cases regarding the disqualification of other presidential aspirants.