The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is optimistic that its primaries on Saturday, May 13, 2023 will be held as scheduled.
The party’s primaries is currently in limbo after Dr Kwabena Duffour, one of the candidates contesting for the flagbearership position on Tuesday, May 9 filed an interlocutory injunction against the party’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary primaries.
In his writ, Dr Duffour want to bar the party, the Electoral Commission from holding the primaries pending the production of a complete photo album register.
The former Finance Minister also wants the party to deliver the complete register to him at least five weeks ahead of the election.
According to the plaintiff, data from only 220 out of the 275 constituencies have been verified. An exceptional list of 74,799 he adds has been created which cannot also be verified because of scanty information.
For no credible reason, 3,910 eligible voters at the 220 constituencies have been disenfranchised”, Dr. Duffuor’s writ read in parts.
He further makes a point, the photo album put out by the electoral directorate of the NDC with the knowledge, consent and tacit approval of the general secretary of the party would compromise the integrity of the election to his detriment.
“The Plaintiff maintains that the reluctance to extend the time for the internal elections and provide a complete and credible photo album register ahead of time to the presidential aspirants for verification smacks of a plan to create an undue advantage for manipulation of the presidential primaries”, the motion added.
Meanwhile, in a press release, the NDC has urged its members to remain calm as the party, through its legal team, works to resolve the challenge.
According to the party, as at April, 20, 2023 “had made available the full Delegates List to all presidential candidates in line with our commitment stated in our guidelines that, this Primary Document, would be furnished to all presidential candidates.”
Read full statement below
NDC CONFIDENT THE MAY 13 PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES WILL
BE HELD AS SCHEDULED
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), further to a court action on the part of one of the presidential aspirants, wishes to assure presidential, parliamentary aspirants as well as members, supporters, and sympathizers, that the party is taking all legitimate and legal steps to pave way for the presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May13, 2023.
We want to urge party members and the people of Ghana to remain calm as the Party, through its legal team, works to resolve the temporary challenge.
It will be recalled that Dr.Kwabena Duffuor, one of the three presidential aspirants, on Tuesday filed a suit against the party seeking to injunct the primaries.
While urging calm among our rank and file, we wish to assure that the party as at April 20, 2023 had made available the full Delegates List to all presidential candidates in line with our commitment stated in our guidelines that, this Primary Document, would be furnished to all presidential candidates.
The party is therefore confident that, this temporary challenge will be quickly overcome to pave way for the holding of the primaries on schedule.
It is our expectation that we shall all put the larger interest of our great party ahead of all considerations, knowing that the good people of Ghana are eagerly looking up to our party, come December 7, 2024, to rescue this nation from the current nationa lcollapse.
Thank you.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey
General Secretary
