A group of aggrieved National Democratic Congress (NDC) members in the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency of the Upper West Region has accused the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, of attempting to impose a District Chief Executive (DCE) nominee on the area.
At a press conference held on Monday at Nadowli, the NDC Constituency Organiser, Frederick Kaninge, strongly condemned what he described as “blatant interference” in the democratic selection process.
He alleged that the Speaker was circumventing the party’s internal procedures to push through a candidate who did not make the shortlist of three nominees recommended by the Regional Vetting Committee.
“It has come to our attention that the Right Honorable Speaker is frantically attempting to circumvent the legitimate voting process sanctioned by the party, all in a desperate bid to force a candidate who did not make it to the list of three nominees,” Mr. Kaninge stated.
He further described the Speaker’s alleged actions as a betrayal of the party’s grassroots and an assault on internal democracy.
He warned that such interference could destabilise the unity of the constituency and undermine the trust of party members in the selection process.
“If this conduct is not halted immediately, it will destabilise the peace and unity of our calm and peace-loving constituency. We will not sit idly by and watch the selfish interests of a few individuals destroy the heart and cohesion of our party,” he added.
The group reaffirmed its confidence in the work of the Regional Vetting Committee, stating that the shortlisted candidates were carefully selected based on their loyalty, service to the party, and knowledge of local governance.
They insisted that any attempt to sideline these candidates in favor of an unqualified individual was unacceptable.
“We must respect the processes we established as a party. This is not the time for elite gangsterism or autocratic behavior. The people of Nadowli-Kaleo deserve leaders chosen through due process,” Mr. Kaninge emphasised.
Mr. Kaninge called on the party leadership to intervene and prevent any imposition of candidates while insisting that the group will resist any attempts to undermine the democratic will of the party’s grassroots.
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