From left: John Mahama, Alban Bagbin, Joshua Alabi, Sylvester Mensah
Former President John Dramani Mahama on Monday officially filed his nomination to contest seven other aspirants in the flagbearership race of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The three aspirants – Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament; Joshua Alabi, former Rector of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) and Sylvester Mensah, former Chief Executive of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) – also filed their nominations yesterday.
All the aspirants submitted their nomination forms endorsed by members of the party in all the 275 constituencies, banker’s drafts covering the GH¢300,000 filing fee and a Curriculum Vitae to the National Executive Committee at the party’s headquarters.
Speaking to the media after submitting his nomination forms, Mr Mahama pledged to work ethically after winning the election to maintain the integrity of the party.
“I thank all those who advised me to contest and not to contest, and I promise to conduct myself in a way that will be worthy of their commendation,” he said.
On his part, Mr. Bagbin gave an assurance that he would abide by the party’s rules during his campaign.
“As a presidential aspirant, I assure you that with your support and prayers and our message of grassroots empowerment and commitment to end the cycle of neglect that has plagued those who have served party and country, victory will be ours in 2020,” Mr. Bagbin said.
Joshua Alabi, after submitting his forms, called on the party’s leadership to find alternative ways of funding its activities rather than charging aspirants exorbitant fees.
“I am afraid for our party. For those of us who supported the amount, there will be a time if we do not take care, they will be charging branch chairman GH¢1,000. We have to work and find innovative methods of rebuilding our country,” he said.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, NDC’s General Secretary, received the nomination forms on behalf of the National Executive Committee and subsequently endorsed them.
Mr Asiedu Nketia said although the NDC would not disqualify any candidate based on clerical mistakes, the forms would be examined after which the candidates would be invited for vetting.
He explained that after the vetting, the candidates would be invited to ballot for positions on the ballot paper.
The NDC General Secretary said the candidates or their representatives would be involved in the processes of printing the ballot papers and that soft copies of the voter’s list would be made available to the candidates for their campaign purposes.
Four other aspirants are expected to submit their nomination forms by close of today to enable them to take part in the party’s presidential primaries on January 26, 2019.
They are Goosie Tanoh, Stephen Atubiga, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and Nurudeen Idrissu, who all picked the nomination forms after paying GH¢20,000 each.
By Melvin Tarlue