News

NDC Council of Elders Demands Reduction in GHC420k filing fee

• By EDMOND GYEBI
• December 06, 2018
• 40

The loud cry by a section of the 13 flagbearer aspirants of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the Council of Elders to intervene for reduction in the GHC420, 000 filing fee has received some appreciable response. 

The Council of Elders has now proposed a GHC100,000 reduction from the GHC420,000 set as nomination form and filing fees for flagbearer aspirants.

The proposal by the Council is a subject for approval or rejection by the National Executive Council (NEC).
It would be recalled that about eight (8) of the aggrieved NDC flagbearer aspirants unanimously petitioned the Council of Elders chaired by Former President and Founder of the party, Jerry John Rawlings to bring the fee downward to enhance internal party democracy.

WatchGhana.Com gathered that the NDC Council of Elders has also proposed an extension of the period for picking nomination forms to Saturday, 8th December 2018, and the primaries held on January 26, instead of January 19, 2019.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah had categorically indicated there would not be any extension of the date for picking of nomination forms after nominations officially closed on Tuesday, December 4, 2018.

At the close of nominations, only five aspirants including Mr John Dramani Mahama, Prof Joshua Alabi, Mr Sylvester Mensah, Mr Stephen Atubiga and Alban S.K. Bagbin.

It is however still contentious case for the agitating flagbearer aspirants as their proposed filing fee was not met by the Council of Elders. 
The aggrieved aspirants demanded that the fees for nomination forms should be slashed from GHC20,000 to GHC5,000 whiles the filing fees be reduced from GHC400,000 to GHC100,000.

They also wanted an endorsement period of 6 weeks and the polling date shifted back to the first week of March 2019.

There are widespread perceptions that the exorbitant fee was introduced to make the contest more difficult for most of the aspirants a scheme believed to have been hatched by the NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia. The two are alleged to have made open declarations that they prefer Mr. Mahama to lead the party into the 2020 elections.

Source: www.watchghana.com