NDC 420k fee: Spio-Garbrah consults other aspirants on presidential ambition

A presidential aspirant of the National Democratic Congress, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah says his campaign team is currently doing intense consultations to decide his future of leading the party into the 2020 presidential election.

His determination to recapture power for the NDC has been shaken by what some describe as extortionate nomination and filing fees for presidential aspirants.

The party pegged nomination forms at 20,00 cedis and filing fees at 400,000: all non-refundable.

Ekwow Spio-Garbrah like other aspirants has questioned the propriety of the hype in the filing fees. He recalled that prior to the 2016 general elections the party’s presidential aspirants paid 100,000 cedis.

He wondered the remarkable difference between a flagbearer and say the party chairman or general secretary who paid 10,000 and 8,000 respectively to be elected into the various positions barely a month ago.

It is obvious former president John Mahama who has declared his intention to lead his party once again would not back out of the race.

Political watchers however expect some of the about six other potential aspirants abandoning their ambition due to the deterring filing fees.

Mr. Spio-Garbrah, a former trade minister, has yet to decide whether to file or not to file, when host of TV3 news analysis show, The Key Points, Abena Tabi enquired from him.

He said broad consultations are being done both at home and abroad with politicians, religious leaders, students, youth and other interest groups on the way forward.

“There are various levels of consultations underway by the campaign team… of course I am also having conversation with other aspirants whether we have any collective position on this matter.

“I am sure by Monday my position on this will become clear… on this note I am in a consultation mood,” he stated.

He suggested that since party functionaries have been complaining about the cost of living in the country, the “outrageous” 400,000 filing fees was not a good idea.