The eligibility and credibility of former President John Dramani Mahama for the 2024 general elections have been vehemently questioned by some members of his own National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the party’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
NDC has set Saturday 13th May, 2023 for its presidential and parliamentary primaries to elect candidates for the presidency and the legislature.
However, Mr. Mahama’s decision to seek re-election has triggered stiff opposition from camps within the various political parties including the NDC with recent resistance emanating from the camp of one of the presidential hopefuls, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor (DKD).
In a letter dated 7th May, 2023, which was addressed to the NDC General Secretary and party delegates, Team Duffour strongly opposed the decision of the party to consider Mahama’s participation in the impending presidential primaries.
The letter, which was signed by Kofi B. Kukubor, DKD Camp Team Member, highlighted reasons for which Mr. Mahama should be disqualified from the primaries, insisting the former president is riddled with corruption.
“As a party, we find ourselves at crossroads to choose between a candidate who is blemished with scandals and one with a proven economic track record.
“All around the world, the biggest issue is how to tackle the cost of living challenges.
“Therefore, the December 7, 2024 leadership race in Ghana is all about the ECONOMY. Team Duffuor wants to bring to the attention of our cherished delegates and party executives that Ghanaians are looking up to the NDC to elect a flagbearer who can roll out policies that can fix the economy within two years”, the letter stated.
NDC, it reiterates, needs to present a presidential candidate who is sincere and whose political record is not tainted in any way.
“The current economic challenges require that we do not need flagbearer, who has been described as ‘Government Official 1’ in the Airbus Scandal, and confirmed as such by the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu.
“The NDC does not need a flagbearer who will take the party and its structures for granted like we have seen over the years.
“The current times, in which we are, requires that we do not elect a flagbearer with serious alcohol addiction issues. We need a flagbearer who will be sober enough to tackle the challenges that we face as a country.
“It is for the above reasons that Team Duffuor is of the firm conviction that if the party’s structures cannot disqualify candidates with alcohol addiction problems, delegates must save our party and the country by voting massively against such candidates. We must see this as a call to national duty”, the letter concluded.
The plethora of issues surrounding former President Mahama has added to Dr. Duffuor’s demand for a suspension of the Party’s presidential primaries, pending a resolution of observed irregularities in the voters’ album.
At time of going to the press, THE CUSTODIAN learnt that some NDC members in Manhyia South were on their way to court to place an injunction on the 13th May, 2023 presidential and parliamentary primaries.
It is emerging that within the NDC that assertions by some supporters of Mahama that his re-election bid would be a walk in the park may not be true as there a number of challenges hitting the camp of the former president.
Political pundits are keenly watching if the opposition to Mahama’s candidature will trigger internal wrangling within NDC and its effect on the electoral fortunes of the leading opposition party in the impending 2024 general election.
Grievous irregularities in NDC Delegates Photo Album
The camp of Duffuor has pointed out a number serious irregularities in the NDC delegates photo album, which have made it not fit for purpose.
Team Duffuor conveyed its concerns to the national executives of the party after what it considered as a thorough review of the album.
“On May 4th, we obtained the NDC Delegates Photo Album Register.
“Upon initial review, we identified several discrepancies in the register that indicate it is both incomplete and inaccurate. Having an incomplete and inaccurate register is a significant issue when going into an election because it undermines the credibility and fairness of the election process.
“A comprehensive and accurate voter register is essential for ensuring that eligible voters are properly registered, and for preventing fraudulent activities such as multiple voting, impersonation and being refused a vote on the day of election.
“If the register is incomplete, it could result in eligible voters being denied their right to vote, and if it is inaccurate, it could lead to the inclusion of ineligible voters, thereby compromising the integrity of the election. Ultimately, an incomplete and inaccurate voter register can erode public trust in the election and lead to disputes over the election results.
Number Photo Albums Missing
Team Duffuor indicated that with the exception of Manhyia, the missing NDC Delegates Photo Album Register stands at 55.
Summary of Register Issues
According to Team Duffuor, 54% of Delegates in the Photo Album (Identities yet to be validated).
Again, there is 28% of ‘Delegates’ in the exceptions list with no information and 2% of Names additionally added onto the register, adding that the percentage can be higher after the identities have been verified.
Team Duffuor also pointed out that 26% of Delegates Missing from the register.
“The percentage can be higher after the identities have been verified.
• Duplicated Photos
• Duplicated Voter IDs
• Unidentified persons were added onto the register. The full extent of the number of unidentified persons can only be determined once the full audit and verification is conducted.
• 46% of the Register cannot be validated with correct Voter ID, Party ID, Photos, Gender, Age, Polling Station Name or Polling Station Code”.
Issues with the Exception Lists
Team Duffuor also noted that 21% of the Register are in the Exceptions lists in the register.
The exception lists do not contain the following information:
1. Name of Branch (Polling Station)
2. Polling Station Code
3. Age
4. Gender
5. Photo
6. Voter ID Number
7. Party ID Number
“It is impossible to enter an election with a voter register missing critical information such as the name of the branch (polling station), polling station code, age, gender, photo, voter ID number, and party ID number”, Team Duffuor concluded.
