The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has disclosed that it is taking all legitimate and legal steps to pave the way for the Presidential and Parliamentary primaries scheduled for Saturday, May 13th, 2023.
Towards this end, it is urging its supporters to remain calm as the party, through its legal team, works to resolve the temporary challenge posed by the injunction slapped on it by one of the flagbearer aspirants, Dr Kwabena Duffour.
A statement issued by the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, late Wednesday night said that “the party is confident that this temporary challenge will be quickly overcome to pave way for the holding of the primaries on schedule”.
It added that “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 national collapse”.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has meanwhile, closed shop on the opposition party refusing to supervise its presidential and parliamentary primaries due to the injunction filed by ex-Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a flagbearer aspirant.
But while at it, lawyers for the opposition party were filing for an abridgement of time at the courts to have the suit heard on Friday, May 12. The party had prayed the High Court to have the suit heard on Thursday, May 11but this was turned down for Friday, instead.
At a meeting held on Wednesday, May 10, the Chairperson of the EC Jean Mensa, announced that “in order that we are not cited for contempt, the Commission has taken the decision not to supervise the conduct of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections until after the determination of the case by the court.”
Subsequently, a meeting between the EC and the NDC to address outstanding issues ahead of Saturday’s primaries has been canceled by the election management body.
However, the Director of Legal Affairs, Abraham Amaliba, the court decided to accommodate the application on Friday, May 12 after giving the pretext that Thursday was impossible.
Dr. Duffuor on Tuesday, May 9, filed the interlocutory injunction against the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries days after alleging plans to rig the primaries for ex-President John Mahama.
The EC in a statement said that its Chairperson, Jean Mensa and her two Deputies, Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman, Operations, Eric Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman, Corporate Services met with the leadership of the NDC team and representatives of the Presidential Aspirants on Wednesday 10th May 2023.
The meeting was held at the Offices of the Commission and the purpose of the meeting was to communicate the Commission’s decision regarding its supervision of the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary Primaries of the NDC slated for Saturday 13th May 2023.
