5 Reasons Behind Joana Gyan Cudjoe's Disqualification from NDC Primaries

On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, the Sekondi High Court delivered a ruling that shook the Amenfi Central constituency and the political landscape of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The court issued an injunction barring Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the wife of Ghanaian musician Keche Andrew, from presenting herself as the elected NDC parliamentary candidate for Amenfi Central.

This decision followed a legal challenge from five plaintiffs who argued that Cudjoe was unqualified for the position.

The ruling has raised many questions, particularly regarding the basis for her disqualification. Here are five key reasons that led to Joana Gyan Cudjoe’s disqualification:

1. Allegations of Forgery

The plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit accused Joana Gyan Cudjoe of forging her voter ID card to participate in the NDC primaries. This allegation formed the crux of their legal argument, claiming she manipulated her documents to meet the eligibility requirements for the parliamentary race.

2. Invalid Voter ID Number

One of the major points raised in the petition was that the voter ID number submitted by Joana Gyan Cudjoe had 11 digits, whereas the correct format for a voter ID number in Ghana should have 10 digits. This discrepancy fueled the plaintiffs’ argument that the ID card was fraudulent.

3. Inconsistent Membership Information

Further scrutiny of Joana’s NDC membership information revealed conflicting details. The voter ID numbers on her NDC party membership card did not match, with the numbers listed as 67610125841 and 67610125891. This inconsistency raised red flags and contributed to the court’s decision to place an injunction on her candidacy.

4. Suspicion of Using Another Individual’s ID

According to the petitioners, the voter ID number 67610125891 that Joana presented actually belongs to a different individual, identified as Seidu Bala. They claimed that an extra digit was added to this number to create the appearance of a new and valid voter ID for Cudjoe’s campaign. This act of alleged tampering further undermined her credibility in the eyes of the court.

5. Court Injunction and Electoral Commission’s Compliance

The Sekondi High Court’s ruling led to immediate action by the Electoral Commission (EC). In compliance with the court order, the EC confirmed Joana Gyan Cudjoe’s disqualification and announced that they would no longer recognize her as the duly elected parliamentary candidate.

A letter dated October 10, 2024, from the EC’s Deputy Chairman of Operations, Samuel Tettey, officially communicated this decision to the public.

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