Johnson Asiedu Nketia
Some National Democratic Congress (NDC) members, who are seeking to become regional executives, have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the leadership of the party to postpone the election.
According to some candidates in the Ashanti Region, funding the various campaigns has become problematic because the party is in opposition.
The NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, during a recent press conference in Accra, announced that the NDC’s regional election had been postponed to September 1, 2018.
During the press conference, the NDC’s chief scribe advised the party’s presidential hopefuls to campaign modestly due to the economic hardship in the country.
Some of the NDC aspirants in the Ashanti Region, who pleaded anonymity, told the paper that the postponement of the election would worsen their plight.
“We don’t have cash to campaign and so we have been hankering for the election to come as soon as possible to help save us, only for the date to be extended for one week by our leaders.
“This one-week extension would definitely bring untold hardship, as we have to search for more cash to campaign,” one of the frustrated aspirants in Kumasi, told the paper.
According to him, most of the candidates in the Ashanti Region are not happy about the development but cannot complain since the directive came from the party’s leadership in Accra.
“We have wasted a lot of funds already on the NDC delegates, thinking that the election would take place in August; the extension would only compound our financial problems.
“Even Asiedu Nketia recently advised that we should campaign modestly due to the lack of money. I am therefore surprised that the party has extended the election date, knowing that we don’t have money to campaign,” a frustrated candidate stated.
According to him, the postponement of the election is not necessary presently.
“If the party had consulted the aspirants, we would have told them not to extend the date for the election.”
A few candidates have welcomed the party’s decision, saying that it would give them enough time to convince the delegates to vote for them.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi