NPP, NDC Chase Nduom over funding comment

Elements within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) are up in arms against Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, Presidential Candidate of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), for impressing upon them to come public on their source of funding.

The two parties held the view that Dr. Nduom's claim would only be relevant, if he took the lead in telling Ghanaians the PPP's source of funding since its inception.

Deputy Director for Communications for the NPP, Samuel Awuku, reacting to Dr. Nduom's assertion on an Accra based radio station, minced no words when stating that “It will only be relevant if he, Dr. Nduom, come public to declare his source of funding before throwing the challenge.”

He however, added that since there are no provisions in the Constitution for presidential candidates or political parties to declare its source of funding, it would be extremely difficult for anybody to do so.

“If it is a constitutional obligation, there will be no need to throw a challenge before you can respond, however, Dr. Nduom himself failed to tell us his source of campaign funds.

…How can you throw a challenge when you yourself you have not done so?” Mr. Awuku is reported to have said.

Richard Quashigah, Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, also echoed Mr. Awuku's stance, saying every action depends largely on the consciousness of political parties and existing laws.

It would be recalled that Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, challenged the two parties to tell Ghanaians their source of funding- a move he added, would deepen Ghana's democracy.