Muntaka rival suspended, can’t contest primaries – Asawase NDC

The communication team of the main opposition National Democratic Congress’ Asawase Constituency has said Mr Mubarak Masawudu was unable to file his nomination to contest in the party’s upcoming parliamentary primaries because he has been suspended.

Mr Masawudu and his supporters went to the constituency office to file his nomination on Thursday, 18 July 2019 only to meet the office under lock and key.

The prospective aspirant and his supporters suspected the regional executives were conspiring against him so as to protect the incumbent MP, Muntaka Mubarak.

Mr Masawudu wondered why the office had been locked and deserted by the executives at a time that he was going to file his nomination.

But the party, in a statement, said the prospective aspirant has been suspended and, thus, cannot contest in the upcoming primaries.

“For the sake of clarity, the young man (Mubarak Masawudu) was unable to pick the nomination forms because he was suspended by the party as of 3rd May 2019 following several cases of misconduct and breach of the party’s constitution. He was duly referred to the disciplinary committee for consideration pursuant to Article 46(2) of the NDC’s constitution but he (Mubarak Masawudu) refused to honour the committee's invitation; he was supposed to have cleared himself from the disciplinary committee before appearing for the form,” the NDC said in a statement.

Below is the full statement of the Asawase NDC chronicling Mr Masawudu’s ‘sins’:

WHY MUBARAK MASAWUDU WAS UNABLE TO PICK A NOMINATION FORM, TO CONTEST IN THE UPCOMING NDC PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES.

For over a week now Asawase constituency has been in the media and made needless banner headlines because some members of the party chose to.

We resolved not to discuss internal matters on air or through the media, the reason for our silence but posterity and justice demand that as “repeated falsehoods may be considered factual by those who hear them”, we need to set the records straight:

We are all aware that on Wednesday 10th July, our party (NDC) opened nominations for interested candidates in our upcoming parliamentary primaries.

In our constituency (Asawase), Hon Muntaka's delegation was the first to appear for "the form on his behalf" and was made to show his Membership ID, for confirmation sake; which they did and upon being satisfied after perusal, were issued the forms.

Later in the day ladies and gentlemen, "another delegation supposed to be for Mubarak Masawudu, who was said to have been on suspension" also appeared for the form, in the company of Pressmen and women from both print and electronic media; and were just as in the case of "Hon Muntaka", asked to present the membership card of the person for whom they were picking the form (Mubarak Masawudu) for confirmation.

The delegation indicated their inability to produce the Membership ID, which they said was not readily available but in Accra and rather showed a "snapped NDC membership ID card; to establish his membership and dues payment records", which was of doubtful authenticity. They were then advised by the executives to "try and present the card, even if it had to be delivered through a transport-parcelling service".

Suddenly, that team went out "to grant a briefing to the media they came with that they were denied the forms by the executives".

For the sake of clarity, the young man (Mubarak Masawudu) was unable to pick the nomination forms because;

He was suspended by the party as at 3rd May 2019 following several cases of misconduct and breach of the party’s constitution. He was duly referred to the disciplinary committee for consideration pursuant to Article 46(2) of the NDC’s constitution but he (Mubarak Masawudu) refused to honour the committee's invitation; he was supposed to have cleared himself from the disciplinary committee before appearing for the form.

In order for people to understand what is happening and the avoidance of doubt, we walk you through why MUBARAK MASAWUD was suspended by the Executive Committee of the party:

Right after the 2016 general elections which had the NDC losing power to the NPP, some party individuals across the country had started going round their constituencies canvassing for supports in their quest to featuring in the 2020 parliamentary primaries instead of partnering the executives for the party’s reorganisation project; a development that made the party through our abled General Secretary (Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia) issue a warning to party individuals who were engaged in that, with the reason being that “they were disrupting their MPs who were in parliament defending national interests but were getting forced to rush back to their constituencies; a warning which was not considered by Mubarak Masawudu, as he had consistently gone round the constituency campaigning for his ambition and flouting the party’s position.

It is worth noting that after our constituency elections, Mubarak Masawudu and his team who had lost to the current executives:

• Took the party to court in a writ summoning the Constituency Chairman (Alhaji Mutum) and Co.

• The council of elders of our party within the constituency, call on them to withdraw the matter but they disregarded their call.

• The regional executives also called on them and suggested they exhaust the complaint procedures of the party, as clearly outlined in the party’s constitution but they did not; and as we are speaking, the case is still in court, an affront to the party he wishes to be a parliamentary candidate for.

We are very sure that people would recall that, in May this year the NDC Asawase constituency held a unifying, motivating and successful health walk which was graced by the Regional Chairman and others in the partner of our MP (Hon. Muntaka Mubarak) amidst several thousands of sympathisers and floating voters. The route for the walk was defined and planned to be climaxed at the Aboabo Post Office park, now listen to what Mubarak Masawudu did;

• He and his team hired a PA system carrying-car and later diverted a section of the “health walkers” to the (Highlanders Park in Akurem), a different venue from what the executive and planning committee had agreed to be the finishing point; a decision that nearly marred the walk, if not controlled.

• As the Regional, Constituency executives and party leaders were addressing the teeming participants, Mubarak Masawudu was also addressing the diverted session at a different location.

• His action made the Regional Chairman popularly known as Nana Kwesi, to rush to that undesignated finishing point. He expressed his unhappiness to what Mubarak Masawudu and his team had done, as it had the tendency of marring the success of the health walk and requested them for a meeting at the regional party office for reconciliation; an action that led to an avoidable confusion at the regional party office.

Stated above were some of the reasons why upon several complaints by concerned party members in Asawase and a petition received from Faisal Dauda against Mubarak Masawudu, the Executive Committee unanimously agreed to suspend him, as he was deemed to have breached Articles 45(a), (b), (c) and 46(b), (c), (e) of the party’s constitution and subsequently referred to the Disciplinary Committee whose invitation he refused honouring.

It should be noted, that it happens nowhere that someone who has been on suspension from an organisation, would want to play a lead role in same unless after such suspension has expired. Records have the following cases of suspension to show and you can check them out:

• Mr Kofi Adams of our party was denied picking up a form during the Buem constituency bye-election because he was on suspension.

• Brenya of the NPP in Asawase was denied picking forms to contest during the NPP’s internal elections because he was on suspension. There are several such examples to show why should the case of Asawase be different?

We wish to place on record that, “Mubarak Masawudu’s failure to pick the nomination form, was due to his disregard to the NDC’s constitution and nothing more”.

The guidelines for the parliamentary primaries are there to guide the process and the constituency executives would under no circumstance subvert the constitution or any party guideline when they remain the custodians of same in the constituency.

Regarding the falsification of the party’s document including a falsified certificate which has the signatures of former President Rawlings and Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, for Mubarak Masawudu’s contribution to the party as back as in the year 2005" – a period during which Mubarak Masawudu was just 16 years old; we can’t tell as to whether he started serving the NDC when he was ten (10) years old. This is there for you in the media and every well-meaning Ghanaian, to interrogate.

Had it not been the actions of Mubarak Masawudu and his team, we would not have attached documents that should have been in the bosom of the party; but for the good people of Ghana, the concerned NDC party members and posterity to be the judge, we submit them.

Let nobody think that "Asawase is crushing because some people have taken to the media and putting the name of the party into disrepute”.

Asawase remains solid for the NDC and would have "Hon Muntaka Mubarak continuing as our MP inshallah", since he remains the "only individual who has officially picked the nomination form".

Thank you for having time to read our piece and we hope you would have by now, gotten to know why MUBARAK MASAWUDU WAS UNABLE TO PICK THE FORM.

NDC Asawase Communications' Team.