Tensions are high within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) hierarchy following the decision of the former National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, to challenge the party’s current National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, over allegations of a ‘dirty campaign’ during the party’s recent national executives elections.
According to party insiders, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo has expressed his displeasure with the incumbent Chairman’s hard methods in his campaign to topple him.
Among these was a concerted electioneering campaign of falsehoods, vilification, and character assassination directed against him.
One of the main allegations levelled against him, as recalled in a recent petition to the party’s Council of Elders and obtained by DAILY GUIDE, is that he “is being called a “mole” in the NDC for our arch opponents, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and purportedly hobnobbing with them, thereby compromising his position as National Chairman.”
“That, quite stunningly, in order to reinforce the lying narrative that I was hobnobbing and also involved in some kind of collusion with the NPP, Hon Asiedu Nketia, in a viral video, insinuated I had introduced a Company allegedly owned by Mr Sammy Crabbe, a former National Vice-Chairman of NPP for consideration to create an App for the registration of and collection of dues from NDC members.
“I wish to state emphatically for the records that I took no part and had no hand in the process leading up to the selection of the eventual Company that was awarded the Contract for the NDC membership registration and dues collection project,” excerpts of the petition read.
Another claim in the petition is that he sold the NPP’s expected win in the 2020 presidential election, causing the NDC’s defeat in the previous elections.
“That, I single-handedly appointed the Directors of Elections and IT of the Party; and that in doing so, I neglected the advice of the former President, H.E John Dramani Mahama, who had apparently instructed a delay to the two specific appointments until the flagbearer elections were held in March 2019. According to Hon. Asiedu Nketia, this incident prevented the Party from compiling election results in 2020 and led to our loss in the election petition which was heard at the Supreme Court of Ghana in the year 2021. This is absolutely false.
“The truth of the matter is that nominations were put before the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) which discussed and provisionally approved the list before submitting same to the National Executive Committee (NEC) for final approval. Upon approval by NEC, the General Secretary issued and signed appointment letters to the persons so appointed.
“So, if I may ask at what point can it be said that I single-handedly appointed those officers?” the petition read.
“That I took the National Women’s Organiser, Hon Dr Hannah Bissiw to an NPP bigwig (businesswoman) for money. This is also false and I challenge him to provide incontrovertible evidence.
“That, in the company of the then General Secretary, Hon. Asiedu Nketia, I went to a businessman who is sympathetic to the NPP to negotiate to sell the position of the Speakership of Parliament in the run-up to the selection of the Speaker of the 8th Parliament of the Republic of Ghana in the night of January 6, 2021. This is also false,” he said.
He believed that Mr Nketia’s use of tribal politics in his campaign of brazen falsehoods was intended to damage his character since he is an Akyem, labelling him as NPP.
He further stated that erroneous claims that he is a member of the “Akyem mafia” or is affiliated with the NPP are incorrect. “In fact, Prof Danso Boafo is an Akyem State royal and a true member of the NDC.” So how can it be argued that I support the NPP just because I am an Akyem?”
Concerning the employment of Rojo Mettle-Nunoo and Kpessa Whyte as NDC representatives at the collation centre known as the ‘Strongroom,’ Mr Ofosu-Ampofo stated in the appeal that he was never contacted, let alone contesting the removal of the aforementioned pair from the EC office.
The former Chairman was adamant that the ‘grand foolish charges’ were intended to depict him as a party mole who was feeding information to the NPP.
On the basis of the foregoing, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo is demanding that the party’s Council of Elders investigate the charges, vilifications, and lies levelled against him, determine their validity or otherwise, and take necessary action.
As a result, he has requested that Mr Nketia substantiates all of his charges against him with complete proof and that if he fails to do so, withdraw the allegations, and unconditionally apologise, he would be forced to take alternative steps to restore his image.
According to insiders, the Council of Elders has yet to make a judgement on the explosive plea.
Source: Dailyguide
