The Electoral Commission of the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC) has disqualified two presidential and vice-presidential aspirant tickets ahead of the 2024 UGSRC General Election, citing constitutional violations.
The ruled-out aspirants are Maradona Adjei Yeboah, popularly known as Guru (Presidential Aspirant), and Jeffrey Adu-Yeboah, also known as Jay Lit (Vice Presidential Aspirant), as well as Emmanuel Owusu Amponsah, also known as Manuel Life (Presidential Aspirant), and Lawrence Edinam Egleh (Vice Presidential Aspirant).
According to the Vetting Panel of the Electoral Commission which is chaired by Gakpe Kudzo Godwin, after the vetting process conducted on August 11, 2024, revealed that Maradona Adjei Yeboah, running for president, and Lawrence Edinam Egleh, who is vying for Vice President , failed to meet the critical residency requirement outlined in Article 30 of the UGSRC Constitution.
The Vetting panel found that the aforementioned aspirants did not qualify under this criterion, as they are non-residents, effectively disqualifying their entire tickets from the race.
This disqualification decision is anchored in the UGSRC’s strict interpretation of Article 4(d)(ii) of the Constitutional Instrument (CI 24), which mandates that if one candidate on a ticket fails to meet eligibility requirements, the entire ticket is invalidated.
The Electoral Commission emphasized that this rule is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring that all candidates are held to the same constitutional standards.
In addition to the disqualifications, the commission confirmed the final list of candidates who successfully passed the vetting process and are eligible to contest in the 2024 UGSRC General Election. These include three candidates for Treasurer: Michael Arhin Nash, Roland Oppong, and Jonathan Kankam. For General Secretary, the candidates are Deborah Febiri Damoah, Faith Constance Duodu, and Lorinda Owie Teye. Additionally, three presidential and vice-presidential tickets were confirmed: Emmanuel Mensah and Justice Mbawin Abugri, Nii Afotey Odai and Abigail Ohenewaa Addai, and Blessing Mantey and Martin Agbefia.
These confirmed candidates will proceed to the general election, where they will present their platforms to the student body in a bid to secure leadership roles in the UGSRC.
The vetting panel’s findings have been communicated to all stakeholders, including the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the Dean of Student Affairs, and the wider student body, as the UGSRC Electoral Commission prepares for a closely watched election season.
Below is the statement from the UGSRC Electoral Commission.
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Story by: Gabriel Tecco Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
