Mahama campaign team protest decision of Council of Elders

Former President Mahama

The John Mahama campaign team is protesting a decision by the party’s Council of Elders to meet the aggrieved flagbearer aspirants without his presence or his representative.

That notwithstanding, it has accepted the decisions taken by the council which include the slashing of the filing fee by GH¢100,000.

In a statement signed and issued by James Agyenim-Boateng, the spokesperson of the John Mahama campaign team, the former President said the impending presidential primary should be seen “as a contest among individuals desirous of leading the NDC in the 2020 elections and not as one between a group of persons against a particular candidate”.

Eight flagbearer aspirants protested the GH¢400,000 filing fees to the National Executive Council which included Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a former Minister of Trade and Industry; Nurideen Iddrisu, a banker and consultant; Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker. They all signed a petition which they sent to the Council of Elders of the party asking them to intervene.

Among the issues they raised were a call for the reduction of filing fees, extension of the nomination and campaign periods.  However, former President Mahama was not a party to the petition but through the Asawase Constituency executives in the Ashanti Region, picked his nomination form without raising issues about the price.

Fortunately for the aggrieved aspirants, the Council of Elders intervened and asked for a reduction in the filing fees and also advised for the extension of the period for nomination and election day.

The eight aggrieved aspirants some of whom have since pulled out of the race went to meet the Council of Elders ostensibly to thank them for their intervention but former President Mahama was unhappy he was not represented in the meeting.

“Whilst acknowledging the prerogative of the Council of Elders to meet with only the aspirant petitioners, it is our humble view the said meeting could have included all other aspirants or their representatives, especially as the matters in issue border on the interest of all concerned,” the statement said. –myjoyonline.com

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