The Upper East Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will sanction any regional or constituency executives found openly campaigning for parliamentary aspirants ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections on May 13, 2023.
The sanctions include outright dismissal from the party, which according to the secretariat is to ensure party executives remain neutral and have the moral authority to reconcile disgruntled aspirants for a united front to victory.
In total, 57 persons picked nomination forms to contest in the NDC’s parliamentary trace in the 15 constituencies in the Upper East Region.
Out of this, four persons did not submit their forms for vetting, while one person also withdrew from the contest.
At the end of a 3-day vetting exercise, Dr. Stanislaus Akadigere who filed to contest in the Navrongo central constituency was disqualified due to his inability to secure nomination form A.
In all, 51 aspirants were successfully vetted to contest in the parliamentary race.
Vetting committee members admonished all regional and constituency executives to refrain from openly campaigning for aspirants or risk being sanctioned.
The committee’s head of legal, Halidu Abdul-Rauf, said, the directive is in the interest of the party to effectively manage its internal issues for victory in 2024.
Nikyemah Alamze, after a successful vetting, told Citi News about his agenda for Chaina-Paga constituents and appealed to delegates to vote for him to lead the party in the parliamentary elections.
“I’m appealing to the delegates to vote for me during the primaries,” he said
A vice chairman of the NDC, Chief Sofo Azorka, described the incompetence of the governing NPP as the bane of the economic hardship in the country.
He was optimistic the NDC will win 205 seats out of the 275 seats adding that it was time Ghanaians gave former President John Mahama the opportunity to rescue the country from the current economic mess.
“We will snatch 205 seats in the 2024 polls. I’m pleading with Ghanaians to give former President Mahama the opportunity to lead the country,” Chief Azorka said
Eastern Region
A youth group in the New Juaben South Constituency in the Eastern Region of the party is threatening a court injunction against the upcoming parliamentary elections.
This action according to the group, has become necessary following the clearance of an aspirant Eric Yeboah Wadie to contest for the parliamentary seat in the party’s internal elections.
The group alleged that Eric Yeboah Wadie is a known member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who has gone to falsify documents to aid his nominations.
There was a heated confrontation which almost ended in an exchange of blows at the vetting grounds in Suhum when the election’s committee disregarded a petition against the aspirant and cleared him to contest the parliamentary elections.
Gideon Akomeah, the Bonya Branch A Chairman in New Juaben South Constituency who shared his frustration with Citi News indicated that the inclusion of Eric Yeboah Wadie is a ploy to help the NPP break the 8.
“Wadie is a mole from the NPP, he needs to be booted out from the race,” he said.
One of the petitioners Emmanuel Atisie who was denied entry by the police into the vetting room, in an interview with Citi News indicated that he will petition the national executive council of the party and proceed to secure a court injunction for redress.
The Eastern Regional Vetting Committee of the party cleared 71 aspirants seeking to lead the party in the region.
Out of the 75 aspirants who picked nomination forms, 2 aspirants from the Lower West Akim Constituency and Akropong constituency withdrew their nominations.
An aspirant from the Afram North ConstKpeli Worlasi was cleared with a condition to help withdraw a pending court case in the constituency.
On the raging New Juaben South constituency issues, the Regional Secretary of the party, Baba Jamal indicated that all aggrieved parties should resort to the party structures and appeal for redress.
Ashanti region
A total of 85 aspirants have been cleared by the Vetting Committee of the NDC to contest the parliamentary primaries in 36 constituencies in the Ashanti Region.
The party says it will soon hold vetting for the remaining eleven constituencies in the region.
The Committee is however urging the aspirants to be decorous in their campaigns.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
