Professor Joshua Alabi who has expressed a strong interest to lead the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to Election 2020, has picked his nomination form for the upcoming presidential primary.
Graphic Online reports that a team from the Prof Alabi camp, led by Mr Ken Dzirasah, a former deputy Speaker of Parliament, picked the forms on Prof Alabi’s behalf Tuesday afternoon.
Among the team that accompanied Mr Ken Dzirasah to pick the form were Victor Kojogah Adawudu, Nii Amasah Namoale and Richard Quashigah.
Mr Dzirasah called for a level playing field and explained that it was Prof Alabi’s wish that the party will call to order, some members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) who are openly declaring support for some aspirants.
They presented a cheque for GHȼ20,000 for the nomination form.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah who received them gave them the nomination form and also presented a copy of the NDC constitution to them.
Former President John Dramani Mahama who is trying to seek a second term as president picked his nomination form on Monday.
The form was picked on his behalf Monday morning by some members of the NDC from the Asawase constituency in Kumasi
They paid the GHȼ20,000 cost for the form on behalf of Mr John Mahama.
Already, Mr Mahama is said to have received pledges amounting to about GHȼ500,000 in support of his campaign whilst other contestants in the race, are complaining that the GHȼ20,000 cost for the nomination form and the GHȼ400,000 filing fee was on the higher side.
The other aspirants numbering eight have petitioned the founder of the NDC, Mr Jerry John Rawlings and the Council of Elders for them to intervene.
One of the presidential aspirants, Mr Alban Bagbin has said he will exit from the race if the Council of Elders of the NDC fails to impress upon the national executives to review the GHȻ400,000 filing fee.
“I will not pick the form and I will not file and I will make it known that it is not because I cannot mobilize,” he said.
All male flag bearer aspirants of the party are to pay GH₵400,000 while female aspirants (so far none has declared interest) are to pay GHȻ200,000 while persons with disability aspiring to the same position are to pay GH₵150,000.
The announcement of the fee has since last week when it was made public, been met with a public outcry, particularly by a number of the aspirants and party folks.
Related: Bagbin to exit NDC flag bearer race if GHȼ420,000 is not reviewed
The NEC has explained that the picking of nomination form will close at 5pm today [Tuesday December 4].
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