The Northern Regional vetting committee has disqualified Professor Bawa Abdul Fatawu from contesting the National Democratic Congress parliamentary primaries in the Tamale South constituency.
The educationist was seeking to contest the former Minority Leader but this development means that the incumbent MP, Hon Haruna Iddrisu, will go into the May 13 elections unopposed.
Chairman of the committee who double as the NDC Deputy National Communication Officer, George Ako Gunn, said the educationist has failed to meet Article 41(8)(b) of the party’s constitution which states that, “A member shall not be qualified to contest the primaries for a parliamentary seat if the person is not an active member of the party at the constituency level for the four years immediately preceding the date of filing nomination.”
THE CUSTODIAN has gathered the educationist only registered to become a member of the NDC in 2022 at the Nawariyya Islamic Primary School branch in the Tamale Central constituency with a membership number C142410125.
This meant his membership has fallen short of the requirement in rule 2.1 (II) and (III) of the Guidelines for the Election of Parliamentary Candidates for the National Democratic Congress for the 2024 general elections.
Mr. Akuo Gunn in a statement said, “Again, you admitted to the Vetting Committee you have not been an active of the party for up to four years before filing to contest on its ticket”.
“It will be recalled that your defense to these queries after making the above-cited admissions was that the provisions in article 41(8)(b) of the NDC constitution supersede what is contained in the party’s guidelines for vetting its parliamentary candidates.
“Consequently, you contended that, per your understanding of article 41(8)(b) of the party’s constitution, a person qualifies if he can prove that he has been a member of the party ‘within’ a period of four years prior to filing to contest on the ticket of the party” he noted.
The Committee Chairman however explained this contention is not borne out by a true and proper interpretation of article 41(8)(b) vi-a-vis the above cited guidelines.
Mr. Akuo Gunn maintained the committee on the basis of the self-admissions was left with no choice but to disqualify him from contesting in the upcoming primaries.
He stated it is the right of disgruntled party members to appeal against the committee’s decision if they disagree with such determination.
