2020 race: Be fair to me – Alabi to NDC

Prof. Joshua Alabi, flag bearer-aspirant of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on the leadership of the party to constitute an unbiased election committee for the party’s flag bearer polls.

He wants a representative of each flag bearer-aspirant to be on the poll committee to ensure fairness and smooth flow of information.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, 6 September 2018 in Accra, Campaign Coordinator for Prof Joshua Alabi, Victor Adawudu, said: “We intend to propose for the consideration of the party, that every aspirant should be represented on the Election Committee. This will enable all aspirants get first-hand information on the election, and not distorted and grapevine information, which might create difficulties for the party”.

He continued: “Transparency, fairness and equity should be the hallmark of this contest. With free and fair elections, the interest generated within the party and the ongoing rebuilding process, the grassroots, supporters and Ghanaians will be encouraged and assured to work towards victory 2020”.

Mr Adawudu added that Team Alabi believes that to strengthen “all structures of the party and to build a very strong party for election 2020, the grassroots, represented by the branch executives should be deeply involved in selecting a flag bearer for our party”.

Below is the press statement:

PRESS CONFERENCE
ROAD TO VICTORY 2020 BY TEAM ALABI
Addressed by Lawyer Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, Campaign Coordinator.
Thursday, 6th September, 2018

Good Morning ladies and gentlemen, our friends in the media, the Fourth Estate of the Realm.

We bring you greetings from the office of Prof. Joshua Alabi and the NDC fraternity as a whole. In the first place, we will like to take this opportunity to thank God and to congratulate all members of the great National Democratic Congress for the peaceful exercise of electing our Regional Executives throughout the Country as part of the rebuilding of the party. In a competitive democracy, some may win and others lose the contest. Whichever way it is, it is a victory for the party, as all the contestants have contributed significantly to the mobilisation of the party for victory 2020.



We thank the National Executive Committee (NEC) and all the other structures of the party for the support, more importantly, the rank and file of the party and teeming supporters who travelled the length and breadth of this Country to make the Regional Conferences over the weekend a success.

Furthermore, we would like to express our gratitude to the National Executive Committee for taking it upon itself to inform the Regions and all constituencies to make all and sundry available to any of the flag bearer hopefuls for their messages to be made known to the party faithfuls. We believe that this will go a long way to generate discussions and exchange of ideas on how the party should move forward and capture power in 2020.

We will like to emphasise that Team Alabi continues to assure the NDC family that our campaign will be civil, decorous and issues based, particularly issues affecting our party at this stage; mutual respect and recognition, especially for the grassroot. This we believe will give assurance to the rank and file of our Party that their legitimate concerns and participation in decision making becomes one of the building blocks of our party.

Our Leader, Prof. Joshua Alabi is not new to the workings of the NDC. His background as an Industrial Economist, International Marketer and Educationist has been well demonstrated throughout his working life. He is a person from a humble beginning in Tamale, rose through the ranks to become the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA). Thus, an accomplished educationist and academic. He was a Member of Parliament for Krowor Constituency in the Greater Accra Region from 1997-2001.

Prof. Joshua Alabi was the Greater Accra Regional Minister under His Excellency Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings and later the Northern Regional Minister. After the 2000 General Elections when the NDC was defeated, Prof. became the head of the Re-organisation Committee for the Greater Accra Region and subsequently the Regional Chairman of the party from 2001-2005. There is no need reminding the Akatamanso family that Joshua Alabi was the Campaign Manager for the late Professor J. E. A Mills during the 2004 General Elections.



Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, Professor Joshua Alabi is an experienced person in Political Party Activities, National Governance, Educational Leadership and Management, and in Football Administration (General Secretary of GHALCA, Member of GFA and Coordinator of the senior national team, the Black Stars).

At the appropriate time, we will officially launch our campaign and introduce the man Prof. Joshua Alabi to you. He is the man to lead our party to victory in 2020.

Since the National Executive Committee (NEC) gave the go ahead to all persons interested in contesting for the flagbearership of the Party to campaign, we submitted our Letter of Intent and have since been visiting some Constituencies in the Regions. We have been meeting with the grassroot in the regions and the support shown us has been massive and humbling. The need to deepen the process of decision making and building the grassroots of the party, is the golden thread in all discussions among the various Branch and Constituency Executive Committees. Lack of consultation with the grassroot by leadership in addressing their legitimate concerns seem to be one of the major issues affecting the party; how this should be addressed must be at the fore of our rebranding and mobilisation for victory 2020.

This Press Conference raises the following issues:

1. Involvement of the Branch Executives in the Flag bearer Elections

One of the ways of addressing some of the concerns is allowing the branches to own the party and partake in the election of their leaders. Team Alabi believes that to strengthen all structures of the Party and to build a very strong Party for election 2020, the grassroot, represented by the branch executives should be deeply involved in selecting a flag bearer for our Party. They are the king makers of our Party. The euphoria that characterises their involvement in deciding who becomes the next flagbearer seem overwhelming in all the constituencies we have visited so far. We take the opportunity to thank Congress and the Constitutional Review Committee for crafting article 42 (i)(g) which allows Branch Executives, both elected and coopted, to exercise their franchise in the selection of a Presidential Candidate for the party. Indeed the Branch Executives are the kingmakers and must be recognised as such.



Ladies and gentlemen of the media, let me take the opportunity to bring you up to speed on the NDC constitution in relation to the Presidential primaries. Article 42 (i) (g) of the constitution captures the composition of the Electoral College for the election of a Presidential Candidate as follows:

(i) Every Branch Executive Committee Member elected and co-opted.

(ii) Every Constituency Executive Committee Member, elected and co-opted.
……...

The above constitutional provision has brought joy and inner satisfaction to the members of the party. Our interaction with the various constituencies and branches attest to this fact, and we Team Alabi share in their joy. Nothing and absolutely nothing should be made to deprive them of their right to vote. We believe that this is the beginning and the manifestation of our mantra POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

2. Establishment of a Fair and Representative Elections Committee

Secondly, we will also urge the National Executive Committee and the Council of Elders to put in place an Election Committee that will manage the process and supervise the election of the flag bearer, without fear or favour. We intend to propose for the consideration of the Party, that every aspirant should be represented on the Election Committee. This will enable all aspirants get first hand information on the election, and not distorted and grapevine information, which might create difficulties for the Party. Transparency, fairness and equity should be the hallmark of this contest. With free and fair elections, the interest generated within the party and the ongoing rebuilding process, the grassroot, supporters and Ghanaians will be encouraged and assured to work towards victory 2020.



3. Need For Party Cohesion and Unity

In congratulating the elected Constituency and Regional Executives, we wish to remind them of their oath of office, to stay truthful and fair to all members of the party, including Flag bearer Aspirants. As leaders of the party at these levels, it is expected that they would work to exude confidence in the process to elicit the trust of all stakeholders. We expect that the elected leadership will not allow the process to be hijacked by some persons for their parochial interest. The actions and inactions of the elected leaders will either foster unity and social cohesion or otherwise: actions such as attacks and insults of aspirants and elders of our party are clear examples of these unhealthy conducts.

Additionally, party functions and Programmes should not be used to give some aspirants undue advantage over others by allowing campaign messages and songs of particular aspirants to be used at such functions.

Team Alabi reckons that God establishes kingdoms and except the Lord builds a house, they labour in vain that buildeth. Only one candidate will win the flagbearership contest and the rest will rally behind the winner for victory 2020. We urge all the aspirants to rally behind the winner. God is in the Centre of our campaign and we shall prevail. We shall WIN and Professor Joshua Alabi shall lead the NDC to victory in 2020.

In conclusion, we thank all branch and constituency executives and members of the party for the warm and massive reception you accorded us during our tour. Team Alabi promises to continue its engagement with the party, especially at the branch level, with whom we are building relationship based on respect, honesty and humility. We will do our best to visit all the constituencies in the Country with our message of NEW LEADER, NEW HOPE. #SOLUTION2020. #POSSIBLETOGETHER

God bless Team Alabi
God bless NDC
God bless Ghana and make our nation great and strong.

Thank you for your attention.