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Politics of Thursday, 20 October 2016

Source: starrfmonline.com

I don't support independent candidates - Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama President John Dramani Mahama

President John Mahama has said he does not back any member of the NDC who goes independent in the upcoming polls.

Addressing party supporters in the North Dayi constituency of the Volta region, as part of his campaign tour on Wednesday, the President declared that, "there is no independent candidate who is NDC and I don't support any independent candidate. I endorse only one candidate and that is the candidate who won the NDC primaries."

Starr News has learnt that about nine members and sympathizers of the NDC in the Volta region have filed nominations to contest the parliamentary elections as independent candidates in their respective constituencies, after falling out with the party for various reasons.

Notable among them are former MP, Albert Zigah, Jim Yao Morti of the Ketu South constituency, Elvis Attivoe of the Agotime-Ziope constituency and Christian Eleblu of North Tongu.

Meanwhile, Joseph Ofori who went independent in 2012 and won the Kadjebi-Akan seat is once again seeking re-election as an independent candidate.

This notwithstanding, President Mahama has advised the aggrieved NDC members to abort their independent ambitions and support the party's elected candidates for victory in the December polls.

"NDC is one party and when we have gone through a democratic process and some body has been chosen, as a disciplined social Democratic Party, what we have to do is to support the person to go forward. So let all of us drop our differences and put this independent candidate aside," he appealed.

The party's General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia also warned that such party members risk being expelled from the NDC, should they proceed with their action.

He therefore urged them to rescind their decision and remain with the party, adding "anybody who is close to our brothers who want to contest this 2016 election as independent candidates; please advise them strongly because we love them and we want them back into our fold so we can continue to push NDC from victory to victory."