The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has chosen number five (5) for its presidential and parliamentary candidates for this year's general elections.

At the end of the parliamentary balloting some few days ago, the party chose 5 for the parliamentary Aspirants. Interestingly, the party's campaign manager, Peter Mac Manu took number 5 yesterday, when the balloting took place for the presidential polls.

As it may be recalled, the presidential balloting had to be done separately from the parliamentary one, as a result of several litigations following the disqualification of some presidential candidates.

The Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified thirteen (13) presidential nominees for various reasons, which ignited court actions from candidates such as Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People's Party (PPP) and the People's National Convention (PNC), just to mention a few.

Dr. Nduom had gone to court seeking an order to restrain the EC from disqualifying him from contesting the presidential elections.

An Accra High Court overturned the decision of the EC. However, the EC ran to the Supreme Court seeking to quash the ruling of the High Court.

The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision ordered the EC to give all disqualified presidential aspirants a hearing. It (SC) ordered in its ruling on Monday that the EC should extend the nomination period from Monday November 7th to Tuesday November 8th, 2016.

Yesterday, the commission announced the final presidential aspirants for this year's elections after it (EC) had fulfilled the orders of the SC by giving the disqualified candidates a hearing.

Addressing the media at the commission’s headquarters in Accra yesterday, the Chairperson of the commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei said her outfit met with the candidates as the SC ordered.

The EC, having vetted the corrected version of the nomination forms of the presidential candidates told journalists that, the NDP, PPP and the PNC had qualified to be on the ballot paper with the other original four candidates.

Against this backdrop, the commission went ahead to do the balloting for the positions.

However, the General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Asiedu Nketia, aka General Mosquito, indicated that it was not necessary to have a different balloting for the presidential aspirants, as the parties could use that of the parliamentary to make voter education easier.

He argued that when the number for the presidential candidate is different from that of the parliamentary, it would be difficult for the party to educate the voters.

However, Mr Martin Agyei Korsah, Director of Elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) opposed the views of General Mosquito, citing that, the voters would vote on the colour and logo of the party, or the picture of the aspirants, thus a separate ballot would not affect the voting.

After listening to contributions for and against the motion, the EC ruled that the ballot for the presidential candidates must go ahead.

The first round of balloting was to determine the order in which the party representatives would pick the positions on the ballot paper.

At the end of the second round the Convention People's Party (CPP) picked the first (1) position, NDP second (2) position, NDC for the third (3) position, PPP had the fourth (4) position, NPP, PNC and JOY the Independent candidate had the fifth (5), sixth (6) and seventh (7) positions respectively.

Ostensibly, the following aspirants could not made it onto the ballot paper – DFP, UFP, GCPP, APC, IPP , DPP, GFP, UDSP and an Independent Candidate (Mr. Walker).

Shockingly, Mr. Akwasi Addai Odike, leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), who had gone for his nomination forms to amend the errors after the SC ruling, went to the EC to withdraw his nomination.

When asked the reason for his pull out, he said: “It's a personal decision,” but he swiftly added that on Monday, he would declare his support and that of his party for another political party.

When furthered asked to know which party he was going to support, Mr. Odike told the media to hold on till Monday, as he would hold a press conference to declare it. However, he hinted that, there must be a “change.”

Mr Odike said his lawyers have written to the commission to inform it of the withdrawal of his nomination.

A copy of the letter sighted by The Chronicle from his (Odike) solicitors, Darko, Keli-Delataa & Company, to the EC reads: “On our client’s instructions, we regret to notify you of his decision to withdraw his nomination filing on October 29, 2016, to contest the impending presidential elections. The reasons for his withdrawal from the race are personal to him at this time.”

The letter also expressed Mr Odike’s ‘deepest regret’ to the Chairperson of the EC and the other commissioners that his decision might cause them.

“Please accept also his warm wishes of God’s guidance and good luck for the arduous task which comes with managing this year’s general elections,” it added.

The chronicle