NDC primaries: All you need to know

The main opposition National Democratic Congress would elect a presidential flagbearer and Member of Parliament aspirants for the 275 constituencies across the 16 regions of the country.

Today (May 13) process is a culmination of months of preparations by the Jonson Asiedu Nketiah-led national leadership, who themselves took office late last year.

The party survived a late legal scare after one of the presidential hopefuls, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, secured an interlocutory injunction against the primaries.

He subsequently discontinued the case and within hours, withdrew his candidature citing unresolved challenges with the voters’ list and photo album. The party largely disputes his concerns.

What is at stake?

The short-term goal is to elect representatives for the 2024 national elections, with the NDC preparing to disrupt the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in their bid to retain power beyond 2024.

The NDC will be looking to secure a majority in Parliament having come close to achieving that in the 2020 polls even though their candidate (John Dramani Mahama) lost the presidential race.

In the presidential contest, Mahama will come up against former Mayor of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu, because of the public withdrawal of Duffuor from the contest.

What are the major figures to look out for?

Number of delegates = 356,025

Voting centers = 420

Number of presidential aspirants = 3 (per party filings)

Number of parliamentary aspirants = 739

Number of unopposed aspirants = 47

Five regions with highest delegate figures

Greater Accra = 69,415

Ashanti = 61,967

Eastern = 36,411

Central = 31,415

Western = 23,894

Who are eligible to vote?

Delegates comprise of branch, constituency, regional and national executives, former national executives, sitting Members of Parliament (MPs).

Others include former MPs and government appointees, NDC-appointed Article 71 Office Holders, and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives that served under the party’s government.

Also, former appointees under the NDC administration including former Deputy and Ministers of State, former Ambassadors and High Commissioners, former Members of the Council of State, presidential staffers who fall under Article 71 Office Holders, foreign chapters and members of the NDC Professional Forum will be eligible to vote.

Keenly watched presidential race

SARA