9th National Delegates Congress of NDC

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE NINTH DELEGATES CONGRESS OF THE NDC.

The ninth national delegates congress of the NDC will go down in the history of the country as well as the party itself as the longest with delegates having to spend more than 48 hours in expectancy. The congress could also be said to be the biggest ever in the annals of the country with more than nine thousand delegates from all over the country. It is however said all is well that ends well.

At the end of it all, the party emerged stronger, more unified and poised to capture power from the ruling NPP in 2020. With a dedicated and determined National Executive having been elected, one has no doubt in the mind that the NDC is battle ready to slug it out with the other political parties in the race to occupy the Presidential seat in the next general election. With Executives like Samuel Ofosu Ampofo as National Chairman, Alhaji Awudu Sofo Azorka, Said Sinare and good old Sherry Ayittey as Vice Chairpersons with unassailable Johnson Asiedu Nketsia as General Secretary and smooth talking Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi as Communications Director among other stalwarts manning various positions, definitely the NDC has a lot to offer in 2020.

Having put the National Executives in place, all is now set for the choosing of the party’s flagbearer, a position being contested for by eleven aspirants including former President John Dramani Mahama, Alban Sumani Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and long standing Member of Parliament for Nadowli Kaleo and Professor Joshua Alabi, former UPSA Vice Chancellor. It is worthy to note that a clause earmarked for amendment at the congress was suspended after some members angrily mounted opposition against the provision which stipulates that Communications Officers should be elected. This indeed showed how potent democracy has become in the party.

Indeed in this era of people’s power, communications has taken centre stage in any forward looking institution and to think that the NDC was attempting to impose an official to man its communications outfit was to say the least backward. Another critical minus at the delegates congress was the decision to lump more than nine thousand delegates with about four thousand observers at a particular venue, no matter the size, smacks of lack of foresight.

The Electoral Commission as the supervising authority should have advised the local organizing committee against such an action.  Again the unfortunate incident where a contestant for Deputy General Secretary, Kojo Adu Asare, could not find his name on the ballot paper was equally reprehensible. The former Adentan MP rather found the name of Justice Yeboah on the ballot where he had expected to find his name. His picture was next to the name Justice Yeboah who was not contesting for any position at the Congress. It is hoped this will not recur at the Presidential primary scheduled for December 7. The decision by the NDC to establish a unit to protect its ballot boxes even though welcome must be given a second thought so that it is not abused.

All said and done, the NDC has held a successful Congress which must be applauded by all democracy loving citizens.

We say Ayekoo to all the winning contestants and to the losers we say better luck next time.

BY JUSTICE MINGLE, A JOURNALIST.