The GFA Appeals Committee has disqualified Mr. Anthony Osei from contesting for the position of Chairman of the Western Regional Football Association.
The WRFA Chairmanship election has been scheduled for Thursday October 8.
Below is the full decision of the Appeals Committee:
PANELISTS
1. ALHAJI FAROUCK SEIDU - VICE CHAIRMAN 2. OWUSU ANSAH AWERE - MEMBER 3. CLAUDE OPPON - MEMBER 4. DIVINE SUNU - MEMBER 5. KWAME TAKYI - MEMBER 6. DANIEL ODURO - SECRETARY
MR. KOJO YANKAH, the current chairperson of the Western Regional Football Association seeks to have his mandate renewed by filing to contest for the position in the forthcoming elections. Two other persons namely, Anthony Osei and Alhaji Fuseini Mahama also filed to contest. The Elections Committee after vetting the candidates disqualified Alhaji Fuseini Mahama but cleared both Mr. Yankah and Anthony Osei.
Dissatisfied with that decision to recommend Anthony Osei as qualified to contest, Mr. Kojo Yankah, in accordance with articles 3 and 9 of the Elections Regulations, filed the instant appeal claiming Mr. Anthony Osei did not meet the requirements to contest for the position. His appeal is premised on two main grounds being; (1) Mr. Anthony Osei misconducted himself in a sale of match tickets (2) A member of the FA, (Little Barelona FC) nominated him and also Alhaji Fuseini Mahama which according to him is against the Elections Regulations. Attached to his appeal are a number of documents to prove that Mr. Anthony Osei actually misconducted himself. Copies of the nomination forms completed by all the candidates and the recommendations/findings of the Elections Committee were made available to the Committee.
We wish to emphatically state that this Committee is not the right forum that deals with misconduct at first instance and therefore we lack the jurisdiction to deal with the matter in order to determine the candidate’s eligibility to contest elections. We will now turn our attention to the second ground being that Little Barcelona FC nominated both Anthony Osei and Alhaji Fuseini Mahama against the Elections Regulations.
Mr. Anthony Osei by his Nomination Form was associated with Pegasus Aboadzi FC, and was nominated or proposed by the same club. The authorized officer of the club is Mr. Daniel Jerry Donkor, Vice-Chairman of the club.
In the case of Alhaji Fuseini Mahama he is associated with Ajax FC, however, he was proposed or nominated by EFOS FC whose authorized officer is the Team Manager, Felix Ofori Armah. It is therefore not true that Little Barcelona FC nominated both Anthony Osei and Alhaji Fuseini Mahama.
However, the Election Committee in its findings indicated that Little Barcelona FC rather supported the candidacy of both Anthony Osei and Alhaji Fuseini Mahama.
A careful scrutiny of the nomination forms of both Anthony Osei and Alhaji Fuseini Mahama attest to the fact that indeed Little Barcelona supported both candidates.
It is observed as per the findings of the Elections Committee that two clubs, namely; Mines Stars FC and Vimabe FC denied ever supporting the candidature of Anthony Osei. The Committee therefore invalidated those two supports or endorsements for Anthony Osei leaving the total supporters at 10. However, the said 10 supporters includes, Little Barcelona FC, Article 6(8) of the Elections Regulations states “No member shall nominate or support more than one candidate.” The support of any member for more than one candidate is therefore invalid. This position was applied in the case of the Greater Accra RFA where Black Kings FC as represented by its Chairman Raymond Amoasi Ekow Cole supported the candidacy of both Mohammed Aminu Lenient Dauda and Nii Komietteh Doku. The club’s support for both candidates was nullified and that left Mohammed Aminu Lenient Dauda with only 9 supporters, one short of the minimum requirement and thus was disqualified. The Committee is at a loss as to why the same rule was not applied in the instant case. This Committee wants to believe that it was a genuine oversight on the part of the Elections Committee.
We shall in the circumstances apply the same rule by invalidating or nullifying the support of Little Barcelona for both Anthony Osei and Alhaji Fuseini Mahama. In so doing, Anthony Osei shall be left with only nine (9) supporters, short of the minimum requirement of 10 supporters.
In the circumstances, Anthony Osei is ineligible or disqualified to contest the elections.