Group Wants ‘Irresponsible’ NDC Chairmen Suspended

Some youth of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), are calling for strict sanctions against the 10 regional chairmen of the party who called on Ex-President John Mahama to consider calls to lead the party in the 2020 general elections.

According to them, the action of the regional chairmen is “unethical and irresponsible.”

In a statement copied to citifmonline.com, the group, said, “we are hereby appealing to the NEC and Council of Elders to ask the ten infamous and lawless regional chairmen to step aside and allow peace to prevail. Their unethical and irresponsible conduct has jeopardized the reorganization process. Their demeanour amounts to anti-party conduct which merits suspension from the party for a period of time.”

The group, Coalition of Concerned NDC Youth, which said it was disgusted by the action of the chairmen, said their action was a violation of the party’s principles and undermines its reorganization efforts followings its 2016 election defeat.

“Why the hurry to stampede the reorganization process; a process which was initiated by NEC and included all these ten regional chairmen who have suddenly turned a blind eye to their own rules?” it quizzed.

The 10 regional chairmen of the NDC at meeting with former President John Mahama on Thursday, urged him to embark on a ‘Thank you tour’ although belated, to thank loyalists of their party for their support during his tenure as president.

They also called on him to consider calls from some party members that he should take up the opportunity to lead the party again for the 2020 elections.

Following the call, some leading members of the party have criticized the chairmen for their stance, indicating that their advice to the former president is an endorsement of his candidature, ahead of the party’s presidential primaries where he will contest other leading members of the party if he decides to contest.

The Coalition of Concerned Youth of the NDC believes that the NDC chairmen “must do the honourable thing by stepping aside.”

Read their statement below:

We the Coalition of Concerned Youth of the NDC would like to use this medium to express our total disapproval and disgust at the manner in which ten outgoing regional chairmen of our party conducted themselves yesterday at a press conference they held to endorse former President Mahama as our Flagbearer for election 2020.

We would like to appeal to the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Council of Elders of the NDC, to call the ten outgoing regional chairmen to book.

In fact, the seriousness of their conduct clearly flouts the modus operandi of the ongoing reorganization process. As we speak, booklets are not even available to register branch members, yet what these regional chairmen are interested in is for former President Mahama to lead the NDC again. What happens to the reorganization? Why the hurry to stampede the reorganization process; a process which was initiated by NEC and included all these ten regional chairmen who have suddenly turned a blind eye to their own rules?

The ten regional chairmen cannot be referees and players at the same time. They must do the honourable thing by stepping aside. We have lost confidence in them. We believe they will never be fair to other would be Flagbearer contenders.

All those who are interested in leading the party as our next Presidential Candidate, should abide by the Constitution of our party; they should also respect the Kwesi Botchwey Committee recommendations. The party must be healed first before all other things.

We are hereby appealing to the NEC and Council of Elders to ask the ten infamous and lawless regional chairmen to step aside and allow peace to prevail. Their unethical and irresponsible conduct has jeopardized the reorganization process. Their demeanour amounts to anti-party conduct which merits suspension from the party for a period of time.

The party is bigger than all of us. Let’s apply the rules regardless of status or name.

We are no longer confident in the leadership of the ten regional chairmen as I said earlier. The earlier they resign or are suspended the better for the wellbeing of the party.