NDC will elect the flag bearer on January 19; filing fee is 400,000 GHC

Policy of Thursday, November 29, 2018

Source: citinewsroom.com

2018-11-29

The National Democratic Congress, NDC, has set January 19, 2019 its presidential primaries.

Candidate application forms will cost 20 000 GHc; however, the filing fee will cost 400 000 GHc.

Deposit fees for women and people with disabilities will be 200 000 GHc. These decisions were made at an ongoing NDC meeting of the National Executive Board, according to Citi News sources.

The calendar of parliamentary primaries of the party has not yet been decided.

The decision on the presidential primary comes just two weeks after the party has elected its national leaders for the next four years.

Former President John Dramani Mahama; the second vice-speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin; Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, former finance minister and former deputy finance minister, is among the notables who have said they want to challenge the primaries.

Joshua Alabi, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Accra Professional Studies; a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah; Sylvester Mensah, former President and CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority; a former Kumasi MCE, Kojo Bonsu; Nurudeen Iddrisu; Stephen Atubiga and Goosie Tanoh.

According to the statutes of the NDC, the election of a flag bearer was to take place on December 7, 2018; 24 months before the 2020 general election.

However, the conference of delegates was postponed until November 17, 2018, which later changed the date of the election of the flag bearer.

This forced the party to change its constitution to allow the holding of the presidential primary beyond the date of December 7, 2018.

Mahama the favorite?

At the end of the national conference of delegates, support for John Mahama was overwhelming from supporters of the NDC.

Even before he declared his intention, the 10 regional presidents of the CND had supported Mr. Mahama's candidacy for the 2020 elections.

After a meeting at the time, the regional president of the 10 regions issued a statement in which he urged the former president to run in the 2020 elections.

Ninety-four NDC deputies from a 106-member minority group also named Mahama as the flag bearer for the 2020 poll before his announcement.

The list of MPs supporting him was made public after he had expressed his intention to contest publicly.