The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is looking forward to the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct its presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May 13, following the withdrawal of a court case by one of its flagbearer aspirants, Dr Kwabena Duffuor.
The NDC’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said the party had met with the EC officials and informed them that the legal issue had been settled and they were ready for the polls.
He said the party had made contingency plans to ensure that all the electoral materials were delivered to the voting centers on time, in case of any delays.
“We are looking forward to them performing their obligation,” he said at a press conference in Accra on Friday, May 12.
“But the election directorate of the party should be on standby,” he added.
The NDC’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, also said that if the EC failed to show up for the primaries, the party’s Election Directorate would take over and run the elections.
He said “The election directorate of the NDC will take full charge of the elections if the EC is unable to show up.”
He stressed, “if the EC is unable to be present to conduct this primary, we will ensure that the election directorate will be in charge.”
The EC had earlier announced that it would not supervise the elections until after the court had decided on an injunction application filed by Dr Duffuor, who was challenging some alleged anomalies with the register.
The EC said it did not want to be in contempt of court and therefore decided to pull out of the polls.
The EC made this known on Wednesday, May 10, after it met agents of all the three flagbearer hopefuls of the NDC. “However, yesterday we were served with an Application for Interlocutory Injunction seeking to restrain the Commission from supervising the conduct of the Presidential and Parliamentary Primaries due to the alleged anomalies with the register.
Gentlemen, in order that we are not cited for contempt, the Commission has taken the decision not to supervise the conduct of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections until after the determination of the case by the court,” the Chairperson of the Commission, Madam Jean Mensa said.
But Dr Duffuor has withdrawn his case from court.
