NDC orders 27 Weija-Gbawe execs. to step aside

Twenty-seven executives of the National Democratic Congress at the Weija-Gbawe Constituency in Accra have been ordered to immediately step aside until after the party's November 21 primaries across the country.

The decision by the Regional Executives of the party comes on the heels of claims of a possible show of bias by the constituency executives against one of the two parliamentary aspirants in the constituency.

John Ayiku Ocansey who is battling Ms Obuobia Darko-Opoku in the primaries to represent the party in next year's parliamentary election has accused the constituency executives of supporting his contender; something he believes could compromise the primaries to be organised by the executives.

He thus petitioned the Greater Accra Regional branch of the party who in a letter dated November 11 and signed by the Regional Secretary, Victor Quarshie asked the executives to step aside for the regional executives to take over until after the primaries.

The constituency chairman, Samuel Asamoah, who confirmed the order to tv3network.com said he's communicated the decision which took effect Wednesday, to all the executives, adding " I've asked all the executive to be calm and quite because this is our party and we believe in rule of law".

Explaining the genesis of the issue, he said the executives met with the two aspirants about a month ago at which event they asked them to invite the executives to the launch of their respective campaigns and rallies which the aspirants agreed to.

He said later after the meeting, they received an invitation to the campaign launch of Ms Darko-Opoku which they duly honoured.

According to him, they were waiting for similar invite from Mr Ocansey only to hear he has reported the constituency executives to the regional executives claiming they have taken sides in the upcoming election by supporting Ms Darko-Opoku.

He said the regional executives held that it will be better for them to step aside in the wake of the allegation than to go ahead to superintend the election, which at the end may result in a challenge of the results by Mr Ocansey should he lose.