NDC's 'World Bank' Under Threat

... As angry party activists in North Tongu threaten to boycott elected candidate

The North Tongu Constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has joined the fray in the growing anger among supporters and members of the party over perceived imposition of parliamentary candidates in the primaries ahead of the December general election.

A section of constituency officials The Chronicle spoke to, have threatened to resist any imposition of a candidate on the constituency.

They said they had officially protested to the regional and national headquarters about the negative activities of some members of the party hierarchy, including the constituency chairman, Mr. Francis Doe, who they alleged, campaigned openly for an aspiring candidate.

According to them in spite of their protest, the chairman and his cohorts still went ahead to cunningly impose a candidate, Mr. Charles Hodogbe on them. They have, therefore, sworn that come December, they would not vote for Mr. Hodogbe, but rather an independent candidate or even the NPP candidate.

They claimed they were tricked into voting for Mr. Hodogbe, a prot?g? of Mr. Doe instead of Mr. Tsatsu Badagbor, the man they had known for years as an NDC stalwart and organizer.

Mr. Victor Kagbitor, campaign manager of Mr.Badagbor, told the paper that the whole process of the primary was carefully orchestrated against Badagbor.

He said all their written petitions and verbal complaints about anomalies were ignored, compelling him to consult his lawyer before the right structures were put in place for the primaries to take place.

He said only about 30 minutes before voting was to start, some leaflets were seen being circulated, one of which had the inscription: "Tsatsu Badagbor is not an NDC man.

In his own hand writing he resigned in 1997; the national executive of NDC has got a copy of Badagbor's resignation letter yesterday, Please think twice before you vote."

Another sheet was a photocopy of Mr. Badagbors's resignation letter and going with it were envelopes containing money. On the envelopes was the inscription, "VOTE WISELY VOTE FOR MR. HODOGBE".

Mr. Badagbor attributed his loss to a plot and wondered how they could get hold of his resignation letter in 1997 just a day before the voting and make it available, yet they did not present the one he wrote barely a week later withdrawing his resignation.

"If I was not a member of the NDC why was I vetted, and not dismissed on those grounds, but rather, allowed to purchase a nomination form?" he asked. "Clearly the motive was malicious."

Mr. Badagbor explained that he decided to resign as organizer of the constituency due to personal reasons, which included alleged assassination attempts on him and acts of arson on some of his supporters.

He said he reported the matter to the security agencies, the MP, the regional and national party headquarters but nothing was done.

However, he said, he rescinded his decision to resign after consultations with a number of people including Mr. Kwasi Aboagye, Regional Organizer of the party in a letter dated August 13th 1997 and he had since been working as a staunch member of the party.

"I am, therefore, very disappointed with the inaction of the party and have since sent a petition to the regional and national headquarters of the party," he added.

When The Chronicle contacted the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Modestus Ahiable, he said he had not received an official report but he had heard of some complaints by Mr. Badagbor.

The General Secretary of the party, Dr. Josiah Aryeh, admitted that he was aware of such a complaint reaching the headquarters but he was yet to find out the details.