Disqualified Asawase NDC aspirant calls for calm

The disqualified aspirant for the Asawase primary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mubarick Masawudu, has called on his supporters to exercise restraint and allow due process to prevail in the matter of his disqualification.

A statement issued by his office on Sundaym September 8, said his attention had been drawn to reports of acts by some party supporters at the NDC Ashanti regional headquarters last Wednesday, following his announced disqualification from contesting the Asawase NDC parliamentary primary contest and the subsequent declaration of the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, as contesting unopposed.

Condemnation

The statement said “while we condemn in no uncertain terms such occurrence, we wish to state that Mubarick Masawudu will not condone or sanction such action as his belief is well anchored in the democratic principles of rule of law, party discipline, fairness and objectivity.”

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The position of his office was that the success of true democracy depended largely on the ability to operate openly and frankly in order to arrive at decisions that would be reflective of the will and desire of the people.

In that regard, it said “disgruntled supporters have the right to express their disagreement at the decision of the party’s leadership on the issue but the office urges all those who believe in his respectful and non-violent disposition as well as his stewardship and planned vision for the party and the constituency, to remain calm and await information on any course of action the office deems fit in the circumstance.

It, therefore, appealed to his followers to be guided by the statement.

Protest

The discontent within the rank and file of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asawase Constituency of the Ashanti Region over the disqualification of Masawudu Mubarick by the party heightened on Wednesday, with some of his supporters storming the party’s regional office to register their protest.

In the event, they burnt tyres and sang songs of protest indicating that they were against the decision of the party to suspend Mr Mubarick.

The protesters threatened to vote ‘skirt and blouse’ in the 2020 general election if the executives did not rescind their decision to disqualify their preferred choice.

According to them, the current MP had overstayed his ‘welcome’ and it was time for a new person to take over; as such, Mubarick should be allowed to contest him and go on to win the seat for the NDC.

They claimed that the decision by the leadership of the party to allow Alhaji Muntaka to go unopposed was an attempt to hand over the seat to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate on a silver platter.

Disqualification

A release signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, last Tuesday said the decision to disqualify Mr Mubarick followed the acceptance of the report of the committee for settlement of outstanding disputes which was chaired by a former Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, after it sat on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.

The statement said, “By this decision, Muntaka Mubarak goes unopposed and for reason stands elected as the parliamentary candidate for the Asawase Constituency.”