George Afriyie appeals disqualification from GFA presidential election

Young Cujey September 09, 2023 0

George Afriyie 

George Afriyie has taken action to challenge his disqualification from the upcoming Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidential election.

The former GFA vice president, who lost the 2019 presidential election to Kurt Okraku, contends that his disqualification was erroneous and breached principles of natural justice and fair hearing.

He has filed a notice of appeal and appeal with the appeals committee, seeking to reverse the decision of the Elections Committee that rendered him ineligible for the presidency, according to a report by Joy Sports.

Afriyie's disqualification stemmed from his failure to meet certain requirements set out by the elections committee. According to the committee's decision, one of the endorsements for Afriyie's candidacy from Victory Warriors FC was not properly signed by the appropriate signatory of the club.

This discrepancy led to his endorsement being invalidated, leaving him with four endorsements instead of the required minimum of five.

In response to his disqualification, Afriyie sought to obtain the unedited recording of the vetting proceedings that took place on September 7, 2023.

However, the committee informed him that their work and discussions during the vetting process are not shared with parties or the public. They stated that the vetting proceedings would only be made available to an appellate body in case of a dispute of fact, not law.

Afriyie's appeal argues that the committee misdirected itself on the requirements for contesting the GFA Presidency and misapplied relevant regulations. He accused the committee of a breach of natural justice and fair hearing when it neglected to apply certain regulations.

In addition to these contentions, Afriyie highlighted that the Elections Committee had an extra member during his vetting, contrary to the mandated composition of five members according to GFA statutes.

The outcome of Afriyie's appeal will determine whether he is eligible to run for the GFA presidency in this year's election, which is set to take place on September 27 but may not take place due to an injunction filed by King Faisal.