The main opposition political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is expected to hold its presidential primary on Saturday, May 6, 2023 to elect a flagbearer for the party for the 2024 presidential election.
A proposed timetable released by the party on Thursday January 6, 2023, after at its Functional and National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting chaired by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has said.
According to the timetable, the opening of nominations would be from Monday, February 22 to Wednesday, February 24, 2023.
Afterwards, there will be submission and filing of forms which have been scheduled to also take place from Monday, March 20, 2023 to Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Scrutinizing the aspirants, there would be vetting of the aspirants from Monday, March 27, 2023 to Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
After the vetting, aspirants who have issues with the vetting process would have the opportunity to appeal from March 30, 2023 to April 6, 2023 after which the election would come off on May 6.
The party has proposed a filing fee of GH¢500,000, half a million cedis and a nomination fee of GH¢30,000 for the presidential aspirants.
Currently, three persons have made thier intentions known to contest the presidential primaries, namely former President, John Dramani Mahama; a former Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, and a former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu.
Ahead of the primary, the NEC of the NDC has appealed to all those who have expressed interest to contest as flag bearer or a parliamentary aspirant to conduct their campaign with decorum, devoid of naming-calling, accusations and insults.
It cautioned that the aspirants should eschew personal interest and think of the overall interest of the party, saying the battle for the 2024 election is not about NDC internal politics; it is about defeating the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and taking over the reins of government, irrespective of who is elected the flag bearer.
By Vincent Kubi