Story: Sports Desk

Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), George Afriyie, has filed notice of application for injunction on the association’s elections scheduled for October 5, 2023.

The application for the interlocutory injunction, which was secured on Friday, September 29, 2023, at the Accra High Court, Human Rights Division, will be moved by the lawyer of Mr Afriyie on October 12, 2023.

The crux of the application is that, the decision of the Elections Committee to disqualify the presidential aspirant, and the Appeals Committee upholding their verdict earlier this month is a “violation of the fundermental human rights particularly to due process and/or fair hearing.”

Thus, Mr Afriyie wants the court to render the decisions of the committees “invalid as a result of the violation of the Plaintiff’s [George Afriyie] fundermental human rights,” and has prayed the court to declare that proceeding to elect president of the GFA despite an appeal pending at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) violates his human rights, “particularly to due process and/or fair hearing.

“An order for injunction restraining the defendant to elect a president of its Executive Council until Plaintiff’s herein finally determined and/or his appeal currently pending before the Court of Arbitration for Sport is finally determined by that court.”

George Afriyie was disqualified from contesting the GFA presidential elections after the Elections Committee found out that his nomination form did not meet the requirements to enable him to contest the topof Ghana football.

Per the Committee, one of his subscribers, Victory Warriors FC, had the signature of Jeffrey Asare, who is not an authorised signatory of the club per article 13(j)(2) of the GFA Statutes 2019, hence invalidating his form.

Mr Afriyie appealed the decision, stating that the Committee should have given him a window to meet the requirements per article 8(3) of the FA Election Regulations, but the Appeals Committee disagreed in its ruling.

It said that, “The invalidity of any document cannot be cured by reference to article 8(3) of the Elections Regulations. Indeed, if Mr George Kwasi Afriyie had submitted invalid Tax Clearance Certificate or invalid Police Clearance Certificate, it would have made his nomination invalid.”

This decision has forced Mr Afriyie to seek redress at CAS, but wants the statusquo maintained until the sports adjudicatory body awards a decision on the matter.