Dr. Kwabena Duffour, a former Finance Minister, has officially announced his withdrawal from the upcoming flagbearership contest of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Duffour, who previously served as the governor of the Bank of Ghana, expressed his dissatisfaction with the party's primary processes, particularly the voters register.
Dr. Duffour highlighted numerous irregularities that have plagued the exercise, which, in his view, have not been adequately addressed by the party's leadership. As a result, he made it clear that he will no longer be competing for the NDC's flagbearership, but emphasized his continued connection with the grassroots.
Referring to the distribution of ballot papers to regions and constituencies without his involvement, Dr. Duffour voiced his concerns about the party's readiness to conduct free and fair elections. He likened participating in such an event to knowingly drinking from a poisoned calabash. Despite his efforts to draw attention to these issues, he concluded that he had no choice but to withdraw, as he could not partake in an election that he believed was blatantly flawed with irregularities.
Prior to this announcement, Dr. Duffour withdrew the lawsuit he had filed against the NDC, citing discrepancies his team had identified in the party's voters register. The NDC argued in court that they had already rectified most of the errors brought forward by Dr. Duffour's team. As a result, Dr. Duffour's lawyers withdrew the case, and the court struck out the injunction application.
It is worth noting that despite these developments, the NDC primaries will proceed as scheduled on Saturday.