The growing perception that efforts are being made clandestinely by some elements in the hierarchy of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to skew the process of electing a flagbeaerer in favour of former President John Mahama, appears to be gaining grounds as the days go by.
There’s currently a misunderstanding among NDC members in the Ashanti Region, following a decision by Regional executives to decorate the party’s office with banners and posters of John Dramani Mahama, at the expense of other candidates contesting to lead the party in the 2020 general elections.
This comes at a time when the leadership stand accused of pegging fees for filing and nomination so high that John Mahama’s competitors cannot pay. The leadership also allowed only a two-day period for the picking of nomination forms for Ghc 20,000 and has closed nominations with only five people picking the forms.
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When Citi News visited the Ashanti Regional NDC office, posters and banners of the former President were splashed all over with the inscription, ‘To win 2020, go for JM’.
The posters are splashed on the walls and entrances of the building.
The only aspirant whose poster was seen aside the former President was Ekwow Spio-Gabrah.
Some of the party supporters who spoke to Citi News insisted on their support for former President Mahama as the preferred candidate.
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For them, they support the move to decorate the party’s regional office with posters of the former President since he is the candidate who can win power for the party when he becomes the flagbearer.
One of the supporters said “I am an executive member in the Nhyiaso constituency. We also have a group at the party’s regional office comprising males and females. It was yesterday we decided to spread the posters and the banners of the former President because we do not want the posters to go to waste. So we mobilized ourselves to do this job for JM. If another supporter should come claiming they are for Alban Bagbin, no one will prevent them from placing their posters. For us, it is JM who is the favourite candidate. We’re the ones who tidy up this place so no one can fault us for spreading the posters.”
Other NDC supporters in the region are however against the move saying it’s unfair and undemocratic.
According to them, the NDC as a democratic party must give equal opportunities to all persons seeking to lead the party.
A supporter of Alban Bagbin accused the regional executives of bias.
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“I support Honorable Alban Bagbin now and forever. I am sad today and I am not a happy member of the NDC. I want to ask the leaders of the party if no one can lead our party for the 2020 elections if not John Mahama. There are a lot of competent persons in our party who can equally lead the party.
“I am so happy someone like Alban Bagbin has decided to contest because of the democracy that exists in our party. I don’t know why some people are sabotaging other candidates. I am not so happy with the decision to decorate the party’s office with John Mahama’s posters,” he lamented.
Spio, Goosie Tanoh and 3 others fail to pick forms as NDC closes nomination
Five out of the ten presidential aspirants failed to beat the deadline set for picking nomination forms for the party’s upcoming presidential primaries after they petitioned the party over the high cost of filing fees and nomination forms.
The five, Ekow Spio Garbrah, Nurideen Iddrissu, Goosie Tanoh, Kojo Bonsu and Elikplim Agbemava, will not be able to pick nomination forms because the party officially closed nominations today, Tuesday, 4th December 2018.
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Petition over filing fees
Nine aspirants, excluding former President John Dramani Mahama, had petitioned the party’s Council of Elders over the GH 20,000 and GH 400,000 costs respectively for nomination forms and filing fees.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has indicated that the party will not extend the date for picking of nomination forms despite protests from some aspirants over the high cost of nomination forms and filing fees.
Meanwhile, five other aspirants, namely John Mahama, Alban Bagbin, Joshua Alabi, Sylvester Mensah, and Stephen Atubiga, have picked up their forms.