Dr. Samuel Afriyie, a Political Scientist from Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), has expressed concern over the high number of presidential candidates in the upcoming 2024 election.
Addressing the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Afriyie urged the body to implement stricter criteria to limit the number of candidates, arguing that it would eliminate unserious parties and save the state resources.
“It is quite unfortunate that we have these numbers,” he said, emphasizing that the number should be pruned to just five or six candidates.
Speaking on ABC Midday News on September 20th, 2024, Dr. Afriyie explained that many of the parties and individuals vying for the presidency are not actively engaged in the political process outside of election periods. “You only see them when it’s time for elections,” he stated.
According to him, while democracy allows everyone the right to contest, the current system can be abused.
He believes the EC should introduce measures to filter out less credible contenders.
His comments come after the EC announced that 13 out of 24 potential candidates had been approved for the December 7th polls.
Dr. Afriyie stressed that reducing the number of presidential candidates would ensure that only serious and prepared contenders are on the ballot, ultimately benefiting the country’s political landscape.
