Politics of Friday, 7 December 2018
Source: citifmonline.com
2018-12-07
Goosie Tandoh had initially opposed the fees charged by the party for filing of nomination forms
A flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Goosie Tanoh, has given indications that he will pick his nomination form on Saturday following an intervention by the party’s Council of Elders which led to an extension of the deadline for picking of the forms.
By the close of the nomination on Tuesday, December 4, Goosie Tanoh and four other persons who had declared intentions to contest in the NDC’s presidential primaries; Ekow Spio Garbrah, Nurideen Iddrissu, Kojo Bonsu and Elikplim Agbemava, failed to pick their forms.
This was because they were protesting the announced filing fee, GHS 400,000 and had petitioned the party’s Council of Elders to intervene.
The Council of Elders successfully caused the fee to be slashed by GHS 100,000, making it GHS 300,000 but maintained the fee for the nomination form at Ghc20,000.
The Council also pushed for the primaries to be held on January 26, instead of the initial January 19, 2019 date, and pushed for December 4 nomination deadline to Saturday, December 8, to allow for persons who could not pick forms more time to do so.
Those who are yet to pick their forms aside from Goosie Tanoh, are Kojo Bonsu and Elikplim Agbemava, after Ekow Spio-Garbrah and Alhaji Nurudeen, picked up nomination forms on Thursday.
Former President Mahama, Stephen Atubiga, Alban Bagbin, Sylvester Mensah and Joshua Alabi, have all picked up their forms.
Goosie Tanoh, who is optimistic about his chances of leading the party into the 2020 elections after a meeting with the Council of Elders, moved to his home region, the Central Region, to begin the second leg of his campaign tour.
He had earlier toured some constituencies in the Region and asked delegates to elect him as their flagbearer to secure victory for the party in the 2020 presidential polls.
Already, Goosie Tanoh’s 2020 campaign tour has taken him to some constituencies in the Volta Region, Greater Accra Region, Upper West Region, Upper East Region, and Northern Region, where he enjoyed significant support from voters.
While in the Central region, Mr. Tanoh is expected to canvass for votes at Kasoa, Winneba, Gomoa, Essakyir, Cape Coast, Komenda, Oguaa among others.
He has promised to be a new leader with a new vision rooted in accountability, probity and social justice for the grassroots of the party and the entire citizenry.
Goosie Tanoh said “real power will return to the grassroots” if he is given the chance to lead the party as flagbearer for the first time.
He believes the party must chart a new path to restore hope to members and create jobs for millions of unemployed Ghanaian youth.
Goosie Tanoh is expected to wrap up the second phase tour of the Central Region on Monday, December 10th.