Trouble looms at the Oforikrom constituency of the NDC

Kumasi, Aug 8, GNA - A constituency executive of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had appealed to the National and Regional Executives of the party to intervene in a crisis in the executives of the Oforikrom constituency of the party.

Mr Evans Kwabla Ablordeppey, Organising Secretary of the Oforikrom constituency of the NDC, attributed the crisis to the activities of the constituency chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Hamidu. He accused Alhaji Hamidu of sidelining all the executives of the constituency and controlling the party "as if it were his private property".

Mr Ablordeppey told the GNA in an interview on Tuesday that if the regional and national executives refused to solve the problem they would solve it their own way.

He alleged that ever since they were elected into office in October 2005, they had not attended any executive meeting. This had compelled some executives to stop attending meetings as they believe the chairman would only come and dictate to them what they should do.

He said through the activities of the chairman, the constituency was divided along religious and ethnic lines (Ewe and Northern caucus) and this did not augur well for the development of the party. Mr Ablordeppey also accused Alhaji Hamidu of openly campaigning for Mr Amidu Gariba, one of the party's parliamentary aspirants, and this is contrary to the party's constitution and called for immediate resolution of the crisis to avoid distasteful consequences. When the GNA contacted Alhaji Hamidu, he refuted all the allegations and blamed the organizing secretary for being the cause of the crisis in the party.

He said the constituency chairman did not take sides when choosing parliamentary candidates and welcomed any probe into his leadership of the party.