Some flagbearer aspirants of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are unhappy about the party pegging its filing fee at a whopping GHc400,000.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDC Thursday agreed that all male flagbearer aspirants will pay GHc400,000 as filing fee.
It was also agreed at the meeting that female flagbearer aspirants will pay GHc200,000, while persons with disability who wish to contest the position are expected to pay GHc150,000.
In addition, the nomination form for the NDC flagbearer slot has also been pegged at GHS20,000, with all aspirants having 10 days to officially file.
The decision to set the filing fee at GHc400,000 has not gone down well with some of the aspirants.
Nii Amasah Namoale, the Campaign Coordinator for Prof. Joshua Alabi, has described the amount as outrageous and wants it immediately reviewed.
Nii Amasah Namoale
According to him, the NDC’s Council of Elders to intervene to ensure that all aspirants have a fair chance to contest.
“In fact the amount is outrageous and unreasonable but this is a NEC decision. We will like to appeal to the Council of Elders to meet with the NEC to review that amount,” Mr. Namoale told Accra-based Asempa FM.
“The unreasonableness is on the date, you cannot use 10 days to tour the whole country to sign on the form, you can’t. That 10 days is too short a time…”
“No matter what prof Alabi will still contest. I will plead with the other flag bearer aspirants including former president Mahama to reject the amount, the fee should come below GHS100,000,” he added.
Meanwhile, other flagbearer aspirants of the party are also reportedly sweating on how to raise the said amount for the filing fees.
Albert Babgin, who is also a flagbearer hopeful of the NDC, has expressed outrage with the GHS400,000 filing fee.
According to him, “we’ll not tolerate any auctioning of the party to any money bag in our society.”
The presidential primaries of the NDC is scheduled for the 19th of January 2019, with about 11 candidates having already declared their intentions to contest.
It, however, remains to be seen how many of them will be able to afford the GHc400,000 filing fee.
