Mahama declares intention to contest NDC flagbearership position

Former President John Dramani Mahama has declared his intention to contest the National Democractic Congress (NDC) flagbearership position as the party opens nominations for the party's presidential primary.

Mr Mahama made this known Tuesday when the Minority Caucus in Parliament  called on him at his office.

The Minority Caucus was led by the leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

Nominations opened

The national headquarters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Adabraka in Accra will be  scenes of activities as the party opens nominations for its presidential and parliamentary elections.

The two-day exercise would kick-start the processes for the final leg of the party’s internal elections to elect a presidential and parliamentary candidates for the NDC slated for May 13, 2023 to contest on the ticket of the party in the 2024 general election.

Aspiring parliamentary candidates would pick nomination forms via the NDC website at a cost of GH¢5000 which must be paid via Mobile Money while the presidential aspirants are required to pick nomination forms directly from the office of the General Secretary of the party and pay a fee of GH¢30,000 via banker’s draft.

However, female aspirants and persons with physical disabilities would be required to pay only 50 per cent of the fee charged.

The exercise, which begins today, would end on Friday, February 24, 2023.

Submission

Per the timetable of the elections issued by the party last month, aspiring presidential and parliamentary candidates are to submit the completed nomination forms from March 20 to 22 before vetting on March 27 to 29. 

There would also be a window for appeals on the outcome of the vetting process from March 30 to April 6 before the election on May 13.

The two elections would be held on the same day on Saturday, May 13, 2023 in all the voting centres in all the 276 constituencies including Santrokofi-Apkafu-Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) in the Oti Region, and the NDC headquarters would also constitute a voting centre.

Qualification

To qualify to become a parliamentary candidate aspirant, a person must first satisfy the 1992  constitution requirements for Members of Parliament.

The individual must also be a paid up member of the NDC in good standing and must not be a dual citizen or owe allegiance to any other country aside from Ghana.

With regard to flag bearer aspirants, according to the party, persons interested must be member of the NDC for at least 10 years and in good standing and also satisfy the 1992 constitution’s requirement for a President.

Presidential 

It is expected that the various presidential aspirants accompanied by their supporters would troop to the party’s headquarters to pick their nomination forms which would be made available at the office of the General Secretary.

A statement signed by the General Secretary of the party, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, said every nomination must be proposed by one person and seconded by five persons all of whom must be members in good standing of the party in different constituencies in different regions.

“Completed nomination papers must be delivered to me with the required deposit of GH¢500,000.00 (Bankers draft) between March 20 and 22, at the party headquarters for the presidential,” it said.

So far, the names of three personalities – former President John Dramani Mahama; a former Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, and a former Metropolitan Chief Executive for Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu, have come up for the flagbearer contest.

In 2018, ahead of the 2020 general election, the NDC pegged its filing fee for presidential aspirants at GH¢400,000 and sold nomination forms for GH¢20,000.