Victor Smith, a former High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland and a senior member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said that the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, should have been disqualified from contesting in the party's national elections.
According to him, Asiedu has violated many of the laws of the party through statements of his as captured in a leaked audio about his contender, which should have led to his suspension making him ineligible to contest for the chairmanship position.
Asiedu Nketiah was heard making some allegations against his contender which have emerged in recent times. He among other things suggested that the party didn’t have the requisite numbers from the 2020 elections as well as concrete evidence to contend the results in court.
Speaking in an Adom TV interview on Friday, and monitored by GhanaWeb, Ambassador Smith said that Asiedu Nketiah would have suspended any member of the party who did the things he is currently doing.
He added that the General Secretary by his recent pronouncements has indicted former President John Dramani Mahama and has no business being in the party.
“Personally, if not for the sake of the party, I will have gone to court that Asiedu Nketiah cannot contest. In fact, he should have been sanctioned in the party.
“Article 8 of the party’s constitutions says that a party member may be subjected or be made subject to party discipline for any of the following: Breach of any of the provision of this constitution; anti-party conduct – this (Asiedu Nketiah’s actions) is anti-party conduct – or activities likely to embarrass the party or bring the party into hatred, ridicule or contempt - he (Asiedu Nketiah) has done that,” he said.
He added that the General Secretary should have also been suspended from the NDC for “unauthorised disclosure of confidential party information”.
Amb Smith made these remarks on the back of several allegations being made by Asiedu Nketiah, including an allegation of the party’s Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, threatening to resign over a proposal made by former President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Asiedu Nketiah, Mr. Mahama, who was tipped to be the party's flagbearer for the 2020 elections, proposed that the party holds off some key appointments until his election as flagbearer.
He further alleged that Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo refused, saying that he was the leader of the party and had the right to make the appointment, which included choosing the director of IT and director of elections, and threatened to resign if he was not allowed to make the appointment.
Meanwhile, the party's 10th Congress to elect its national elections is ongoing at the Accra Stadium.
Candidates are contesting for various positions, including the National Chairman, National Vice-Chairmen, General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, National Organiser, Deputy National Organiser, and the National Treasurer and Deputy National Treasurer.
Others are the National Communications Officer and Deputy, as well as the National Zongo Caucus Coordinator.
The current National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, is expected to face stiff competition from the outgoing General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, for the chairmanship position.
Watch the interview below:
Watch the second part of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah's interview on GhanaWeb TV below:
Also watch the nomination for the GhanaWeb Excellence Awards Youth Edition below:
Former High Commissioner to the UK, Victor Smith