Don't Deny Aspirants Nomination Forms - Lawson Tells NDC Executives

The National Democratic Congress, has called on all constituency executives to make nomination forms available to all eligible aspirants to enable them contest the upcoming primaries of the party to elect parliamentary candidates in constituencies with sitting Members of parliament.

The NDC has 116 parliamentarians. The breakdown is as follows:Northern region -22; Volta region -21; Greater Accra -18; Western -11; Central -11; Brong Ahafo - 9; Upper East - 8; Upper West -7; Eastern region - 7; and Ashanti - 3.

According to the party, no eligible nominee should be denied the opportunity to contest the primaries and that every effort should be made to facilitate their bid to contest the polls.

The Deputy General Secretary of the party, Mr George Lawson, said that the guidelines regulating the conduct of the primaries would be strictly enforced and challenged all constituency executives to treat every eligible aspirant fairly.

“We need a peaceful, free and fair primaries” he told the Daily Graphic insisting that the NDC would not tolerate any constituency executive who would put any impediments in the way of potential aspirants.

He said the party would not tolerate any excuse that nomination forms had run out or were in short supply saying, “If that is the situation, the aspirant should go to the regional or national offices to pick nomination forms.”

He also called on the constituency executives to issue Identity Cards to aspirants who needed them because their ID cards were missing.

Do not use ID cards as enough excuse to deny any aspirants nomination forms since that will run counter to the spirit and letter of the guidelines regulating the conduct of the primaries, he stated.

He said in view of the intense interest the upcoming primaries had generated across the country, the party would do everything possible to make the exercise a success.

The contest is expected to be very competitive in the Volta Region, which is considered the World Bank of the NDC, and other strong holds in the North and the Greater Accra Region. In the Greater Accra region, four aspirants have picked forms to contest in the Ada and Sege constituencies respectively.

Reports indicate that in some constituencies in the Volta Region, the race for Parliament on the ticket of NDC is fierce and interesting. Names making rounds include the Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who is eyeing the North Tongu seat, Mr Fiifi Kwetey, the Ketu South, Mr Richard Quarshigah, Propaganda Secretary, Keta and Mr Chris Ackumey, member of the legal team of the party. In the Greater Accra Region the race will be interesting in the Odododiodioo constituency where Nii

Lantey Vanderpuiye, Presidential Aide will slug it out with the incumbent MP.

According to Mr Lawson, the Eastern Region is also experiencing a similar trend and promises to be keenly contested.

He said in all these regions, some constituencies have come for extra nomination forms.

Indeed, some have about 10 aspirants contesting in one constituency alone, Mr Lawson added.

He said Tamale North and Yendi constituencies were experiencing some challenges but gave the assurance that the party would do everything in its power to resolve them.

The NDC opened nominations for the conduct of competitive democratic elections in all the NDC Holding Constituencies for the selection of parliamentary candidates for the 2012 general election last two weeks.

According to guidelines regulating the conduct of the elections, nominations would be opened for a period of one month.

All male aspirants shall pay a non-refundable deposit of GH¢5000 while female aspirants pay GHc2,500 on submission of completed forms. The cost of nomination forms shall be GH¢200.

In a related development, Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Thursday December 1st 2011, ended all doubts about his desire to represent the people of North Tongu in the 2013 Parliament of Ghana when he quietly picked his

nomination form at the North Tongu NDC constituency office in Juapong.

In a brief address, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa thanked the people of North Tongu for their overwhelming support and assured them that he was answering their call for him to represent them in Parliament not as an opportunity to enrich his CV but as a call to service to ensure the collective improvement in the living conditions of all residents of North Tongu.