Do not use party structures to endorse a candidate - NDC to executive members

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cautioned party executives at all levels against the use of party structures to endorse a candidate.

The party has said individual party executives at the various levels can endorse a candidate who may express interest as presidential candidate but cannot use the structures of party to endorse a particular candidate.

General Secretary, Asiedu Nketiah gave the caution at a press conference held at the party’s headquarters today [Thursday], on plans by the NDC towards their internal party primaries. The party has with immediate effect sanctioned campaigning for flagbearer hopefuls of the party ahead of the 2020 elections.

However, the General Secretary of the party, Mr Asiedu Nketiah has directed that all hopefuls must first inform the party of their intention to contest the slot before campaigning. He further cautioned against flamboyant campaigning by aspirants because of the hardship currently being experienced by Ghanaians. ‘’

Times are hard [and] it will be very offensive for Ghanaians to see flamboyant campaigns even when they are living in pennery.

And so we are urging our proposed contestants that, they should be modest in their campaigns and outdoor advertisement that will be consistent with the values of the NDC as a social democratic party.’’ ‘’Again, we want to urge leadership of the party at all levels not to attempt to commit the structures of the party to any one candidate… The party structure will remain neutral.

But if individuals want to declare their support for one candidate or the other, we don’t have any issue with that,’’ he added. He stressed, it will be offensive to the rules of the party for any leader of the party at all levels to declare that, this constituency has declared their support for one candidate.



The party is also cautioning against dirty campaigning lamenting that, some of the utterances by some of the aspirants have not been palatable. ‘’Now that we have officially opened the campaign, we will be monitoring.

We want to caution all those persons who want to lead this party to conduct a campaign that is decent, that is decorous in terms of the choice of language and that is devoid of personal attacks.’’ The party would want to hear the vision and mission of interested candidates about their proposed leadership that will enable party members to take a decision about ‘’your suitability or otherwise.’’