Former chief executive of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kwadwo Bonsu, has withdrawn from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearership race, his campaign team has announced.
Mr. Bonsu who had up to close of today to pick nomination forms, becomes the second aspirant after legal practitioner Elikplim Lorlormavor Agbemava, to pull out of the NDC presidential primary scheduled to take place on January 26.
“It is with deep regret that after considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided to end my campaign for the flagbearership of the NDC today,” a statement issued Saturday from his campaign office said.
Reasons for his withdrawal remain unclear but it is suspected to have been caused by the party’s 400,000 cedis controversial filing fee which has since last Wednesday been slashed to 300,000 cedis following an intervention by the Council of Elders.
For that, he thanked the Council for what he termed their “prompt response” to their petition on issues including the high filing fees, which he and and seven other aspirants in the race raised for consideration.
While Mr. Agbemava withdrew Friday to support the candidature of former President John Mahama in the race, Mr. Bonsu has chosen not to declare support for any of remaining aspirants some of who are yet to pick nomination forms.
Rather, he said he looks forward to working with the party and whoever will be elected the flagbearer.
“As a dedicated member of the NDC, I look forward to working with the party and the elected flagbearer to advance issues of importance to our beloved country,” he stated.
Mr. Bonsu said he remains steadfast for the longterm future of the NDC and Ghana at large, adding “the fight is far from over. I am not ending the fight for unity and accountability and I am not ending the fight for the victory of the NDC.”
Nomination deadline
The remaining aspirants have up to close of today, December 8 to pick up nomination forms at the cost of 20,000 cedis which they will be required to submit on December 17 and 18 together with a bankers draft of 300,000 cedis.
So far former president John Mahama, second deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin; a former Trade Minister, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah; a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Professor Joshua Alabi; businessman Alhaji Nurudeen Idrissu and Stephen Atubiga have picked nomination forms to contest the race.
MP for Cape Coast South George Kwaku Ricketts Hagan, and David Doste Kwame Kuwadah, who have declared their intentions to lead the party into the 2020 elections are yet to pick their nomination forms.
International businessman who is one of the big names in the race has said he will be picking his nomination forms today.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana
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