…To contest NDC’s May 13th Parliamentary Primaries
The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed petitions raised against the candidature of some aspirants whose eligibility to contest the party’s May 13, Presidential and Parliamentary primaries, have sparked controversy in recent days.
Key among them are Dr Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah alias “Kojo Jones” who wants to represent the people of the Keta Constituency in the Volta Region and Joana Gyan Cudjoe, who is also vying for the Amenfi Central seat in the Western Region.
Joana, who is said to be the wife of a popular Ghanaian musician, “Keche” was mentioned to have satisfied “all requirements of membership as entrenched in Article 8 of the Party’s constitution”.
Dr Jones-Mensah, was also cleared of allegations that he is not a member of the party and also that he had impersonated one Senyo Dumalor.
According to the committee, it found no merit in the claims after going into its records. It validated the membership of the aspirant as a member of the Valco Base branch of the Ashaiman Constituency.
Interestingly, The Herald is picking reports from the NDC suggesting that a particular national executive is extremely angry with the Appeals Committee about the clean bill of health given to Dr. Jones-Mensah to take part in the contest. This paper is digging out for more information on this matter with reports that has created tension at the NDC headquarters with threats served on some senior executives by this individual who is gone bonkers.
Aside Kojo Jones and Joana, Mahama Aswad of the Salaga South Constituency, Michael Nyamah and Kenneth Bagyisan Gyimah of Krachi West, Mavis Bissue of Ahanta West were also cleared by the Special Appeal Committee which sat on the petitions on 12th of April 2023.
It was constituted to handle special petitions arising out of the vetting exercise and some decisions referred to the national secretariat from the regions.
The Committee had the NDC’s National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah as its Chairman, the NDC General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey as its Secretary, Kofi Attoh as a member, Daniel Amartey Mensah as a Technical Adviser and Richard Odum Mensah also as Technical Adviser.
One Atta Boateng and Buadi Barachel attended to the committee as IT Expert and Administrative Secretary respectively.
One Everlyn Akantoa of Sunyani West was the one amongst the parliamentary aspirants, who was disqualified by the Committee following a petition on the grounds that she is not a known registered member in the Sunyani West constituency and that her name was fraudulently entered into the register.
A 17-page document report of the Committee available to The Herald and signed by Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, the NDC General Secretary, Mr. Kwetey and Buadi Barachel as Committee Chairman and Leader, NDC, Committee Secretary and Administrative Secretary respectively, gave reasons why the petitions were dismissed to enable the aspirants to take part in next month’s contest.
In the case of Dr. Jones-Mensah, the committee explained that the petition against him, was on the grounds that he is not a known registered member in the Keta constituency.
“The petitioner also indicated that the aspirant is not a known member in the constituency since 2018. The aspirant indicated that he was a member of the Valco Base branch in the Ashaiman constituency”.
The Secretary of the Ashaiman constituency wrote to executives of the Keta constituency to transfer his membership to Keta. The regional executives, therefore, decided to put elections in those branches on hold until a final determination of the matter is made.
However, the Appeal Committee requested Mr Jones to respond to the petition and he produced a party ID card from the Ashaiman constituency to prove his membership of the NDC.
The Appeal Committee also interrogated the petitioner, and he alleged that the card that was possessed by Mr Jones actually belonged to one Mr Senyo Dumalor.
However, Mr Dumalor’s name is in the register, so it is impossible for the aspirant to impersonate him. The Appeal Committee therefore decided to verify the authenticity of the aspirant’s membership by utilizing the digital platform.
The report said that “on receiving the Ashaiman register, the party’s records validated the membership of the aspirant as a member of the Valco Base branch of the Ashaiman constituency.
It added that the “information retrieved from the Party’s digital platform revealed that the aspirant’s membership as a member of the Valco Base branch of the Ashaiman constituency is valid and accurate”.
“The Appeal Committee is of the candid opinion that the aspirant satisfies membership requirement as entrenched in Article 8 of the Party’s constitution, adding “the aspirant is also qualified under item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC which states that an aspirant must be an active member in a branch in a constituency”.
“The Committee believes that the aspirant must not necessarily be an active member in the constituency in which he intends to contest but he being active in any branch qualifies him to contest in any constituency throughout the country”.
“The aspirant also satisfies all the requirements under Article 41 of the Party’s constitution to be elected as a parliamentary candidate. The Committee therefore decided to dismiss the petition and clear the aspirant to contest as a parliamentary primary aspirant in the Keta constituency”.
In the case of the Joana, the petition wason the grounds that she is not a known registered member in the Amenfi Central constituency, however, she had “indicated that she is a registered member of the Party in the Presby Church Bronikrom branch of the Bantama constituency since 2018.
The vetting Committee, therefore, referred the decision to FEC to ascertain the authenticity of the membership of the aspirant.
A notebook was presented to the Appeal Committee purported to be the Bantama register with the constituency executives saying that the branch register was with the regional executives.
The Appeal Committee decided to liaise with Ashanti regional executives for the Bantama register and also decided to verify the authenticity of the aspirant’s membership by utilizing the digital platform.
“On liaising with the Ashanti regional executives, the Bantama constituency executives immediately released the original register.
“The Appeal Committee later found out that at the time the constituency executives appeared before the Committee, they were in possession of the branch register but lied to the Committee that the branch register was with the regional executives.
“The Appeal Committee also found out that the constituency executives also had a fake register with the intention of disqualifying the aspirant unjustly. The Committee, using the original register checked the record of the membership of the Presby Church Bronikrom branch of the Bantama constituency.
“Information retrieved from the branch register validated the aspirant’s claim of membership of the Presby Church Bronikrom branch of the Bantama constituency.
“Information retrieved from the Party’s digital platform also revealed that the aspirant’s membership as a member of the Presby Church Bronikrom branch of the Bantama constituency is authentic and accurate. Thus, the aspirant satisfies all requirements of membership as entrenched in Article 8 of the Party’s constitution.
“The aspirant, being an active member in the Presby Church Bronikrom of the Bantama constituency, also qualifies her under item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC which states that an aspirant must be an active member in a branch in a constituency.
“The Committee is of the view that the aspirant must not necessarily be an active member in the constituency in which she intends to contest but she, being active in any branch qualifies her to contest in any constituency in the country.
“The aspirant also satisfies all the requirements under Article 41 of the Party’s constitution to be elected as a parliamentary candidate.
Interestingly, the report said that “the Committee noted that during the course of the appeal process, some constituency executives produced false information, misled the Committee and lied to it which delayed the appeal process.
The Committee therefore decided to dismiss the petition and clear the aspirant to contest as a parliamentary primary aspirant for the Amenfi Central constituency serving notice that adding “all persons who deliberately engaged in such falsehood shall be severely sanctioned”.
For Mahama Aswad, a member of the party petitioned that the aspirant does not vote in the Salaga South constituency where he intends to contest and also indicated that Mr Aswald was only registered in 2022 which contravenes item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC.
At the hearing, the Appeal Committee interrogated the aspirant and requested that he responds to the allegations levelled against him.
In response, the aspirant indicated that he voted in the Salaga South constituency from 2000 to 2008 but was unable to do so in the same constituency subsequently due to transfer associated with his job.
Concerning his membership of the Party in 2022, the aspirant indicated that he had registered as a member of the Party in 2018 at Kalpohin Anglican B branch of the Tamale North constituency and produced a Party ID card to support his claim of membership of the Party in 2018.
The Appeal Committee cross checked the membership of the aspirant by liaising with some of the current and past branch and constituency executives of his constituency.
All executives contacted affirmed his membership of the constituency in 2018. But the Appeal Committee also utilized the Party’s digital platform to ascertain the authenticity of the Party ID card provided by the aspirant. Information retrieved from the Party’s digital platform revealed that Mr Aswald’s membership as a member of Kalpohin Anglican B branch of the Tamale North constituency is authentic and accurate.
The Appeal Committee is of the candid opinion that the aspirant satisfies membership requirement as entrenched in Article 8 of the Party’s constitution.
The aspirant is also qualified under item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC which states that an aspirant must be an active member in a branch in a constituency.
The Committee is of the firm belief that the aspirant must not necessarily be an active member in the constituency in which he intends to contest but he/she being active in any branch qualifies him to contest in any constituency throughout the country.
The aspirant also satisfies all the requirements under Article 41 of the Party’s constitution to be elected as a parliamentary candidate and “the Committee therefore decided to dismiss the petition and clear the aspirant to contest as a parliamentary primary aspirant for the Salaga South constituency.
For Michael Nyamah, a member of the party petitioned that the aspirant was an NPP activist and joined the NDC in 2019.
The petitioner also alleged that the aspirant connived with the constituency Chairman to erase someone else’s name and replace it with that of the aspirant.
The petitioner also alleged that the aspirant works at Ghana COCOBOD and failed to resign from his position prior to his decision to contest as a parliamentary candidate.
In response to the petition, the aspirant indicated that he had never been an NPP activist but a member of the Party in good standing.
Concerning the allegation that the aspirant connived with the constituency Chairman to remove someone else’s name and replace it with his name, the aspirant denied knowledge of the allegation and indicated that there has not been any evidence of the use of correction pen to erase his name in the branch register.
The aspirant indicated that he had registered as a member of the Party in 2018 at Alfahab Islamic School branch of the Okai Koi Central constituency and produced a Party ID card to support his claim of membership of the Party in 2018.
The Appeal Committee looked into the branch register and found out that correction pen has not been used to erase any entry in the portion where the aspirant was registered.
The Appeal Committee also contacted some former and current executives of the Okai Koi Central constituency who affirmed the membership of the aspirant as a registered member of the Party at the Alfahab Islamic School branch of the Okai Koi Central constituency since 2018.
The Party’s digital platform was also utilized to ascertain whether the party’s records validate membership of the aspirant as a member in the Alfahab Islamic School branch of the Okai Koi Central constituency.
Information retrieved from the Party’s digital platform revealed that aspirant’s membership as a member of the Alfahab Islamic School branch of the Okai Koi Central constituency is authentic and accurate.
There is no proof that the aspirant is an NPP activist as alleged by the petitioners.
The aspirant’s profession as a staff of Ghana COCOBOD does not constitute grounds for disqualification.
The Appeal Committee found out that the aspirant is a member of the Party in good standing and satisfies membership requirement as entrenched in Article 8 of the Party’s constitution.
The aspirant is also qualified under item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC which states that an aspirant must be an active member in a branch in a constituency.
The Committee affirms that the aspirant must not necessarily be an active member in the constituency in which he intends to contest but he/she being active in any branch qualifies him to contest in any constituency in the country. The aspirant also satisfies all the requirements under Article 41 of the Party’s constitution to be elected as a parliamentary candidate.
The Committee, therefore, decided to dismiss the petition and clear the aspirant to contest as a parliamentary primary aspirant for the Krachi West constituency.
Another aspirant that the Appeals Committee dealt with was on Kenneth Bagyisan Gyimah. The petition was on the grounds that he is not a known registered member in the Krachi West constituency in 2018.
According to the petitioner, the aspirant was a Parliamentary candidate for the NPP in 2016 and registered in the Krachi West constituency in 2019.
In essence, the petitioner is of the view that the aspirant is not an active member of the Party for the last four years and is therefore ineligible to contest under item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC.
The Appeal Committee requested the aspirant to respond to the allegations contained in the petition and the aspirant responded that he registered in the Krachi West constituency in January 2019 based on the advice of the MP, Comrade Helen Adwoa Ntoso.
In the 2020 campaign period he was outdoored in a rally organized by the NDC as an NPP aspirant who defected to join the NDC in the Krachi West constituency.
However, unknown to the Vetting Committee and the Krachi West constituency executives, prior to his registration at the Krachi West constituency, he had registered at the Anglican JHS Akwele in the Awutu Senya East constituency in the Central region in 2018.
He produced a 2018 Party membership card from the Anglican JHS Akwele branch of the Awutu Senya East constituency in the Central region as proof of his registration.
The Appeal Committee consulted the Central Regional Organizer, former branch Chairman of the Awutu Senya East who registered him, current constituency executives and some former constituency executives of the Awutu Senya East constituency. All current and past branch, constituency and regional executives consulted attested to the fact that he registered in the Anglican JHS Akwele branch of the Awutu Senya East constituency in 2018.
The Appeal Committee also utilized the Party’s database to ascertain whether the party’s digital records validate membership of the aspirant as a member in the Anglican JHS Akwele branch of the Awutu Senya East constituency in the Central region.
Information retrieved from the Party’s digital platform revealed that aspirant’s membership of the Anglican JHS Akwele branch of the Awutu Senya East constituency in 2018 is authentic and accurate. The Appeal Committee is of the view that the petitioner was unaware of the aspirant’s registration as a member of the Party in the
Anglican JHS Akwele branch of the Awutu Senya East constituency in 2018. The Appeal Committee therefore called the petitioners and all executives present and informed them that per the information available at the time of the hearing, the aspirant satisfies membership requirement as entrenched in Article 8 of the Party’s constitution to contest as a parliamentary candidate.
The aspirant is also qualified under item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC which states that an aspirant must be an active member in a branch in a constituency.
The Committee is of the view that since the aspirant registered in a branch in a constituency within the jurisdiction of Ghana, that registration qualifies him to contest in any constituency in the country.
The aspirant also satisfies all the requirements under Article 41 of the Party’s constitution to be elected as a parliamentary candidate.
The Committee therefore decided to dismiss the petition and clear the aspirant to contest as a parliamentary primary aspirant for the Krachi West constituency.
The Appeal Committee was informed that five aspirants filed to contest as Parliamentary candidates and out of the five, three of the aspirants were cleared and balloting was done for them.
The Appeal Committee, upon clearing the two aspirants did balloting for them with Michael Nyamah to appear as number 4 with Kenneth Gyan will appear as 5. The Elections Directorate was accordingly directed to update its records to reflect the new decision.
On Evelyn Akantoa, the Appeal Committee inquired from the aspirant whether she was aware of the petition but she replied in the negative. The branch executives, past and present constituency executives denied knowledge of the membership of the aspirant in the Sunyani West constituency 2018.
The aspirant indicated that she was a registered voter in the Sunyani East constituency but in 2020, she was a member in the Sunyani West constituency. She provided two different Party ID cards to prove her membership of the Party.
At her hearing, The Appeal Committee utilized the Party’s database to ascertain whether the party’s records validate membership of the aspirant as a member in the Sunyani East constituency.
But information retrieved from the Party’s digital platform revealed that there is no record of the aspirant’s membership as a member of Party as at 2018. The Committee discovered that a man who claimed to be a branch executive joined the NDC after the 2020 election which could only have been possible through fraud.
The Committee found that the aspirant is not an active member in any branch in any constituency throughout the country as at 2018.
The Party’s records indicated that the aspirant is neither a member of the Party in the Sunyani East nor Sunyani West constituencies as at 2018.
Thus, the aspirant does not satisfy membership requirements as entrenched in Article 8 of the Party’s constitution. The aspirant is also not qualified under item 2.1 (III) of the guidelines governing the conduct of parliamentary primaries in the NDC which states that an aspirant must be an active member in a branch in a constituency.
The aspirant does not satisfy all the requirements under Article 41 of the Party’s constitution to be elected as a parliamentary candidate. In essence, the aspirant is ineligible to contest as a parliamentary candidate in all constituencies across the country.
The Committee therefore decided to disqualify the aspirant from contesting as a parliamentary candidate in the Sunyani West constituency but recommended a branch audit in the constituency to establish the eligibility of all branch executives and to sanction all wrong doers.
