NDC primaries; not a novelty

The Progressive People’s Party congratulates the NDC for a successful Primaries and wish them well in the coming elections. However we are saddened by the “Novelty” tag associated with the Primaries by some Media Houses and leading members of NDC as well as Pollsters.

The PPP was the first Political party to open up its electoral college to every card bearing member of the party to vote at its Primary. Our constitution states in Article 15 clause (3) that “All card-carrying members in good standing in the particular polling station/constituency/region can participate in elections to determine the officers of the party”. This system has been used to elect officers of the party since its inception.

The NDC amended their constitution to allow every member of their party to vote at their primaries early this year. How can they claim to be the first party to have opened their electoral college to include every member of the party when indeed the PPP has tested and practiced this system three years whence the party was formed? In fact, the Flag bearer of the party in 2012 was confirmed by every member of the Progressive People’s Party and the Electoral Commission was a witness to that event.

It is acceptable sometimes for political parties to engage in propaganda but the Media must not fall into the propaganda scheme of these political parties. The media must as much as possible help the society to decipher from these lies and propaganda of these political parties. We are therefore calling on the Media to correct the wrong impression that the NDC party was the first political party to extend its electoral college to include every member of the party. It should be stated on record that, the PPP was the first political party to open its electoral college to allow every registered card bearing member of the party to vote at its primaries as far back as 2012.

The PPP continues to show the direction and blaze the trail for change in this country. The Progressive People’s Party remains the only party with the policy propositions that will re-shape the destiny of this country and effect real change that will trickle down to the grass roots.

To this end, let the media correct the wrong impression that NDC started this system of voting and let it be known out there that, it was the PPP that started opening their electoral college to include each and every member of the party as far back in 2012.

Murtala Mohammed(PPP NATIONAL SECRETARY)