NDC race: Picking forms will be illegal – Bagbin

National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer hopeful Alban Bagbin says he will not pick the party’s presidential nomination forms despite a today’s deadline.

His reasons are that picking the forms will mean condoning illegality since the newly elected national executives of the NDC sidestepped the party’s Council of Elders in deciding the guidelines for the flagbearer contest.

“We believe that the process that they have put in place is offending a number of our values, principles and even the provisions of our constitution…and so we have put that across and we are awaiting the response of the Council of elders,” the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament cum flagbearer hopeful told Starr News’ Regina Borley Bortey Tuesday.

“There’s a legal issue there. A legal issue that we believe

has rendered all the process null and void. It is very clear in our constitution that the guidelines for the flagbearership race will have to be done in consultation with the Council of elders.

“We know that. And so, if you don’t do that and you proceed to do what you know is unlawful it means that all that process is null and void.

“And that’s the difficulty in going to pick the forms because we ourselves will be participating in an unlawful process. That’s the main reason why I am not picking the forms,” he added.

Bagbin also warned the NDC will be doomed should the national executives go ahead and implement the deadline for the picking of the forms without addressing the concerns raised in their petition.

“It is not just my candidature that’s at risk, the whole party, the success of the whole party is at risk if they decide to treat with contempt the issue that we have raised.

“They are just taking it lightly and they think that it’s one of a show of power. I can tell you that the health and future of the whole party will be at risk if they think that they can be pushed and ruled by the mob.

“They should go on and do that and see. We are all in Ghana. They should see what will happen in future,” he said.

Already former President John Dramani Mahama and Professor Joshua Alabi have picked up their forms.

The former CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Sylvester Mensah is also expected to pick the forms later today despite castigating the ¢400,000.00 filing fee as a sellout of the party to the highest bidder.

The party has warned the deadline for picking the forms will not be extended beyond Tuesday.