The governing New Patriotic Party [NPP], has disputed claims by the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress [NDC], that it charged GHc500,000 as filing fees for its flagbearer hopefuls in 2014.
NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, while announcing a GHc420,000 nomination and filing fee package for the party’s aspiring presidential aspirants, defended the action by saying that even the NPP charged higher that amount prior to the 2016 general elections.
“If you want to compare us to the NPP; the NPP three years ago was charging GHc500,000. We were all with you in this country, did you complain? And three years on we are charging GHc400, 000 and you still say ours is outrageous,” he said on Thursday.
But the NPP in a statement signed by its Deputy National Communications Director, Richard Asante, described Asiedu Nketia’s claim as lies and a means of finding a leeway “to cover up an unacceptable deed.”
“The statement by the NDC’s General Secretary, Aseidu Nketia, that the NPP charged ¢500,000 from flagbearer aspirants some four years ago is untrue and typical of the deliberate lies and propaganda approach of the NDC whenever they want to cover up an unacceptable deed. Never in the history of the NPP has anything close to that amount been charged for primaries or any of our internal elections.”
Richard Asante in the statement said they instead charged GHc10,000 for the nomination forms and GHc75,000 as filing fee.
“It should be noted that on June 6th, 2014, towards the preparations for the last presidential primaries, the Nomination Fee, approved by the National Council, was Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS10, 000.00) and the Filing Fee is Seventy-Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS75, 000.00). A statement to that effect, signed by the then General Secretary, is available anywhere as a public document,” he added.
The party further challenged Asiedu Nketia to proof his claim.
“We challenge the NDC’s General Secretary to prove this allegation or retract and apologise to the NPP and Ghanaians for attempting to justify and rationalize what is obviously an obnoxious way of monetizing internal contest and eliminating other contestants,” the NPP added in the statement.
Below is the full statement from NPP:
SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
The statement by the NDC’s General Secretary, Aseidu Nketia, that the NPP charged ¢500,000 from flagbearer aspirants some four years ago is untrue and typical of the deliberate lies and propaganda approach of the NDC whenever they want to cover up an unacceptable deed.
GHC420,000 thousand for filing fees is unacceptable and can only mean a blatant attempt to skew the primary in favour of a particular person.
Never in the history of the NPP has anything close to that amount been charged for primaries or any of our internal elections.
It should be noted that on June 6th, 2014, towards the preparations for the last presidential primaries, the Nomination Fee, approved by the National Council, was Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS10,000.00) and the Filing Fee is Seventy-Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS75,000.00).
A statement to that effect, signed by the then General Secretary, is available anywhere as a public document.
We challenge the NDC’s General Secretary to prove this allegation or retract and apologise to the NPP and Ghanaians for attempting to justify and rationalize what is obviously an obnoxious way of monetizing internal contest and eliminating other contestants.
Asiedu Nketia should also concentrate on how to rebuild his party to become the respectable opposition our democracy craves for.
This hefty GHC420,000 demonstrates the need to be vigilant about the previous administration’s financial activities and its impact on the national treasury.
…Signed…
RICHARD ASANTE
(DEPUTY NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR)
