Persons hoping to vie for various portfolios in the race to lead the largest opposition party NDC will know their fate after Sunday, September 23, 2018.
This is because the party has slated vetting of aspirants for the Congress in November from Thursday, September 20 to Sunday, September 23.
The committee is thus expected to complete all vetting process by Sunday, September 23 following which an announcement of eligible candidates will be made.
The vetting committee is made up of General Carl Modey, Hon Hajia Laadi Ayi Ayamba, Hon Marrieta Brew Oppong, Hon Kofi Amoatey, Mr. Kofi Adams, Mr. Vincent Kuagbenu, Hon Nii Okaija Adamafio.
The NDC's national congress to elect new crop of leaders to steer the affairs of the party going into the 2020 elections is scheduled to take place at the Trade Fair Center in Accra.
The main congress will be preceded by a mini-congress at Pentecost Center at Kasoa on October 20, 2018 for the election of National Youth Organiser and National Women Organiser portfolios.
The NDC General Secretary explained "after the vetting, there may be issues arising. As I have told you, the vetting committee may end its work somewhere on Sunday or Monday. They would have finished the vetting but issues will emerge from the vetting and so those issues will have to be looked at again. If you have petitions that are following from the vetting, particularly if you are displeased with the outcome of the vetting, our laws allow us to give you a second hearing and because of that we have constituted an Appeal's Committee"
About 13 committees have been set-up by the party to see to the successful organisation of the National Congress.
The committees include the Accreditation and Protocol, Publicity, Transport, Food, Vetting, Procurement, Medical, Security, Standing Orders, Legal, Materials/ Logistics, Grounds and National Congress Committees.
Announcing the members of the various committees, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia charged them to be committed to the organisation of the programme and work as a team to ensure timely execution of their mandate.
Members present were sworn in by Asiedu Nketia and urged to work in the best interest of the party ahead of the Congress.
"We have already secured the direction of the National Executive Committee to convene the Congress. The date and venue has also been approved paving the way for the actual organisation of the Congress and as you all know, Congress cannot be organised by one individual. It is an activity that all of us must participate in one way or the other to ensure a successful event. Because of this we normally put together a Congress Planning Committee which is headed by the General Secretary according to the party constitution," Asiedu Nketia asserted.
He continued that, "Under this National Congress Planning Committee there are other sub-committees which are charged with specific responsibilities relating to the Congress"
The election of a new crop of national executives will set the tone for the election of a flagbearer to lead the NDC into the 2020 elections.
Former President Mahama, Rickets Hagan, Sly Mensah, Goosie Tano, Joshua Alabi and Spio Garbrah are a few people who have already declared their intentions to run the race for the flagbearership.
The party has set December 7 for the election of its flagbearer in line with the requirements of the party's constitution according to the General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
“We have taken note of our constitutional requirement to choose our Flagbearer, 24 months before the next elections and the constitution not having been amended yet, we can safely calculate our timelines from 7th December 2020, so that will bring us back to 7th of December 2018 for a choice to be made on who leads our party into the next general elections.”
