Guru Back in UG SRC Presidential Race as Appeals Board Overturns Previous Disqualification

Last month, musician Maradona Adjei Yeboah, popularly known as Guru, filed a petition against the University of Ghana’s Student Representative Council (SRC) Electoral Commission after being disqualified from the SRC presidential race. The disqualification was based on the claim that Guru did not meet the residency requirement outlined in the SRC constitution, which states that candidates for executive positions must reside in one of the university’s halls.

Despite his appeal, the university’s judicial board initially upheld the SRC’s decision, maintaining that Guru was ineligible. However, in a dramatic shift, the Appeals Board of the University of Ghana has now overturned that ruling, reinstating both Guru and Emmanuel Owusu Amponsah in the SRC presidential election.

On September 15, the Vice Dean of Student Affairs issued a directive to include Guru, Amponsah, and their respective running mates in the list of candidates for the election. The Vice Dean instructed the Electoral Commission to conduct a balloting session for all vetted SRC candidates. This balloting is scheduled to take place on Monday, September 16, 2024, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon at the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs (ODSA).

In addition, the Vice Dean’s letter mandated that the Electoral Commission provide the names and ballot positions of the candidates to the University of Ghana’s Computer Services (UGCS) following the balloting. This is to ensure that the UGCS can make the necessary arrangements for voting, which is to be held on a date agreed upon by the candidates, but no later than Wednesday, September 18, 2024.