Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Ofosu Ampofo says the decision to charge flagbearership aspirants a total amount of GHȻ420, 000 is aimed at testing how resourceful they are.
Some aspirants and party faithfuls of the NDC have raised concerns over the high cost of the filing fee.
Former President and Founder of the party Jerry John Rawlings has also tasked the National Executives Committee (NEC) of the party to reconsider the amount being charged.
But according to Mr Ofosu Ampofo, leading a party goes beyond wanting to become a president.
He contends that whoever is elected to lead the party ought to be able to raise funds for the running of the party.
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Speaking on 3FM‘s Sunrise morning show on Monday, December 3, the NDC National Chairman, elected just last month, said the amount charged is not difficult to raise if an aspirant is resourceful and has a clear-cut vision for the party.
“And so, we are testing the resourcefulness of the people who want to lead the party. We are not testing whether they are rich or poor, because I have seen on some platforms that people are donating for candidates,” Mr. Ampofo told host Winston Amoah.
“If you have a vision and people buy into that vision, people can pay for the sustenance and implementation of that vision,” he added.
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said if an aspirant’s vision and message to the delegates is one they identify with, they will readily support the aspirant to raise the money.
“We have 275 constituencies, if you want to lead our party and you outline your vision for the party, and you ask for instance that I want two people who believe in my vision in a constituency to support me with GHȻ1,000 to enable me file my nomination and necessary documentation in order to contest for the flagbearership elections, people will help.
He said by that fund-raising means “you will end up getting about GHȻ 550, 000”.
“If you pick our nomination form and pay your filing fee, you will have GHȻ 130, 000 to do other things that you want to do,” Mr. Ampofo said.
He further added that anyone who wins at the end of the party’s primary has the “responsibility of sourcing [for] resources” to support the party to prosecute a national election.
The NDC National Chairman noted that he has no direct influence over the decision on the filing fee, and that the decision was made at Committee level.
“Decisions of NEC are not taken by one person. Even though I chair the National Executives Committee, I am not an autocratic leader, I am a democratic leader… democracy strives on majority decision.”
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