W/R: NDC Youth Want Regional Chairman Suspended for Campaigning for Mahama

Nana Kwame Toku

Some group of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Western Region is calling for the head of the Regional Chairman of the party Nana Kwame Toku for acts of misconduct including causing divisions among the branches and constituency leaders.

"We are by this release calling for his resignation or suspension by the national leadership of the party as regional chairman with immediate effect so he can continue with his campaign for his preferred candidate in the Region," the youth posited.

In a statement issued by Joel S. Ndede, Spokesperson for the group, Nana Toku is openly campaigning for the former President John Mahama in the region which is against the traits of a leader of a group with varied interests and choices.

The group has accused him of serving the interest of one candidate and not the party as the position demands.

The Regional Chairman was also accused of forcing one of the constituency executives, Hon. Benedict Boadi, in the Jomoro Constituency to resign officially for openly campaigning for a particular NDC parliamentary aspirant and presidential aspirant.

The irate group has warned Nana Toku his other western regional executives not to step foot in the constituencies as regional executives to campaign for any particular aspirant.

"Nana Toku is a 'Referee' in this electioneering process of the NDC Presidential primaries, and as a 'Referee' he must stay neutral in all campaign activities of the NDC Presidential aspirants and only monitor the campaign activities of the aspirants. He must also ensure that there is no foul play, irregularities, bias and intimidations in the electoral process in the Region in order to come out with a satisfactory, credible, peaceful, free and fair election without diminishing the founding principles of which the NDC party was founded" the statement noted.

The former President John Mahama is contesting six other aspirants to lead the party in the upcoming 2020 general election. They include the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Mensah; Nadowli Kaleo MP, Alban Bagbin; Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah, a former Trade and Industry Minister; Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Prof. Joshua Alabi; Goosie Tanoh and Nurudeen Iddrisu.

The party has scheduled presidential primary on February 23, 2019 amidst petitions.

Read Full Statement Below:
CONCERNED NDC YOUTH OF WESTERN REGION
NANA TOKU OPEN CAMPAIGN IN THE REGION IS UNACCEPTABLE AND MUST BE SUSPENDED OR RESIGNED AS NDC WESTERN REGIONAL CHAIRMAN WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

We, the concerned NDC youth of Western Region, write with the greatest disappointment on the leadership of the NDC Western Regional executives particularly, Nana Toku, NDC Western Regional Chairman for openly touring and campaigning for one NDC Presidential Aspirant, Mr John Dramani Mahama, former President of Ghana in the Western Region which is creating a lot of problems and divisions among NDC delegates at both branch and constituency levels.

We are by this release calling for his resignation or suspension by NDC's National leadership as regional chairman with immediate effect before he continues his campaign in the Region.

This move by our Regional Chairman, Nana Toku is very unfortunate, unwise and unacceptable because it is gradually deepening and creating so many internal wranglings and destabilizing the peaceful atmosphere and unity exited in our party before he was democratically elected as chairman of the Western Region of NDC.

Also, Nana Toku open campaign for John Mahama and some other NDC Parliamentary aspirants in the region is a clear manifestation of electoral manipulation, incompetence, lack of quality leadership roles, selfishness, lack of credibility and integrity about the electoral process of the upcoming NDC Presidential primaries on 23th February, 2019 and a breach of NDC’s constitution.

This is because Nana Toku is a 'Referee' in this electioneering process of the NDC Presidential primaries, and as a 'Referee' he is, he must stay neutral in all the campaign activities of the NDC Presidential Aspirants and only monitors the campaign activities of the aspirants and ensures that there would be no foul play, irregularities, bias and intimidations in the electoral process in the Region in order to conduct a satisfactory, credible, peaceful, free and fair election without diminishing the founding principles in which the NDC party was founded.

But it is rather disturbing and disheartening to see Nana Toku who supposes to play a neutral game and supervises the electoral process in the Region in a free and fair manner without any personal or individuals' interests, has now turned, branded and decorated himself as branch, Constituency and Regional campaign coordinator and spokesperson for JDM and telling delegates who they should vote for concerning the upcoming NDC Presidential and Parliamentary primaries.

We want Nana Toku to understand that he can't oppress and decide for us, his interest can't be our interests, neither his choices nor preferred candidates. Nana Toku should allow we the delegates to decide because the party’s interest supersedes any individual's interest. Party first!

We, concerned NDC youth of Western Region, saw Nana Toku's actions and agenda for openly visiting and campaigning for JM at the various branches and Constituencies in the western region as a serious threat to healing our internal wounds and fortunes of winning 2020 general elections because it might bring the credibility and integrity of the electoral process into dispute before and after the election since there has already been alot of problems and divisions among supporters of JM and other aspirants as a result of some selfish party executives and so-called gurus.

Given the circumstances and the evidence available, Nana Toku was vividly seen touring and campaigning with former President, John Dramani Mahama in all the Constituencies in the Western Region, and visiting the branches in most of our Constituencies campaigning for JDM. As if that wasn't enough damage, Nana Toku was also campaigning against the other six aspirants and some NDC parliamentary aspirants for reasons best known to him.

SUMMARY OF WHY WE WANT NANA TOKU TO RESIGN OR SUSPENDED

1. Nana Toku is not serving the interest of the party but his own parochial interest and paymasters.

2. Nana Toku has exhibited gross incompetence and lack of leadership skills and he is being controlled and directed by some selfish- hidden individuals pursuing their agenda.

3. Openly campaigning for former President John Mahama without any resignation as western regional chairman

4. Openly campaigning against some NDC parliamentary aspirants- a typical example is Madam Dorcas Afo-Toffey, Jomoro NDC Parliamentary Aspirant. This happened when he recently met all the branch executives of Half-Assini zone in the Jomoro Constituency without the knowledge of the Constituency Chairman, Organizer, Communication officer, Youth Organizer and others.

5. Nana Toku pressured and forced one of our Constituency Executives, Hon. Benedict Boadi, in the Jomoro Constituency to resign officially just because he was openly seen and campaigning for his preferred NDC parliamentary aspirant and presidential aspirant. Meanwhile, Nana Toku who should know better by putting the party interest into consideration by resigning before he goes out campaigning openly for JDM has failed to do so and leaving a bad precedence for the party in the Western Region.

6. Nana Toku is creating divisions among the branch and constituency executives.

We saw such misconduct, lackadaisical attitude, lack of respect for the party’s structure and delegates by Nana Toku as unacceptable, condemnable and must not be condoned or entertained in our democratic party, so we urge the National Executive Council, Council of Elders of NDC to either suspend Nana Toku or call for his resignation with immediate effect.

We are also sending a warning signal to Nana Toku and his other western regional executives not to step foot in the Constituencies with the aim of campaigning for a particular aspirant until they have officially resigned. We will resist them with all possible means so that they will not be able to create further damage, confusion and division among us within the party in the western region because we are poised to wrestle power from this under-performing Akufo Addo-NPP government.

Failure to comply with our calls will face our wraths.

Thank You All!!
It's Possible Together
God richly bless our democratic party, NDC
God richly bless our NDC, Western Region
God richly bless Concerned NDC Youths of Western Region

God richly bless Ghana
Eye zur eye zar
Signed
Joel S. Ndede (ARISE)
SPOKESPERSON
Hon. Boadi Benedict
ORGANIZER
Madam Abiba Ali Alhassan
SECRETARY