The National Democratic Congress, NDC, has set January 19, 2019, for its Presidential primaries.
Nominations forms for the aspirants will cost GHc 20,000, however, the filing fee will cost GHc 400,000.
The filing fee for women and persons with disabilities will be GHc 200,000.
These decisions were taken at an ongoing National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the NDC, according to Citi News sources.
A decision is yet to be made on a schedule for the party’s parliamentary primaries.
The decision on the presidential Primary comes barely two weeks after the party elected its national executives for the next four years.
Former President John Dramani Mahama; the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin; a former Finance Minister, a former Deputy Finance Minister, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan are among the notables who have declared intent to contest the primaries.
Others who have stepped up include the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Prof. Joshua Alabi; a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah; a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority, Sylvester Mensah; a former MCE of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu; Nurudeen Iddrisu; Stephen Atubiga and Goosie Tanoh.
Per the statutes of the NDC, the election of a flag bearer was to have taken place by December 7, 2018; 24 months before the 2020 general elections.
However, the delegates’ conference was postponed and held on November 17, 2018, a change that subsequently affected the date for the election of a flag bearer.
This compelled the party to amend its constitution to enable the presidential primary to be held later than the December 7, 2018 date.
Mahama the frontrunner?
Coming off the national delegates conference, the support for John Mahama was overwhelming from NDC supporters.
Even before he had declared his intent, the 10 Regional Chairmen of the NDC had backed the candidature of Mr. Mahama for election 2020.
The 10 regional chairman, after a meeting at the time, issued a communique in which they urged the former President to consider running for the 2020 polls.
Ninety-four NDC MPs out of the Minority Caucus of 106 also endorsed Mr. Mahama as the flagbearer for the 2020 polls prior to his announcement.
The list of the MPs backing him was made public after he made his intention to contest public.
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citinewsroom
