We fixed GH¢400,000 filing fee to protest ‘high cost of living’ under NPP gov't – Asiedu Nketia

The General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia has said nothing is free in an economy with a high cost of living, for which reason NDC is fixing its filing fees at Gh¢400,000, MyNewsGh.com has filed.

“The cost of living is high but somebody must pay the cost of running the elections; who is going to pay?” he asked sarcastically.

He was defending the party’s decision to charge a huge filing fee for aspirants for 2020 presidential candidate which many say is too exorbitant. He said a headache of how to pay for the filing should be left for the aspirants who weighed themselves and thought they were capable of running.

”I have not declared to be a presidential candidate so those who have declared to be presidential candidates must pay the cost”, he told journalists in Accra Thursday.

He rubbished reference to NDC’s social Democratic credentials as against what they are taking from aspirants.

“Social democracy is not poverty,” he said.

The largest opposition party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has pegged its filing fee at GH¢400,000 for all flagbearer hopefuls of the party, MyNewsGh.com confirmed.

This decision was reached at a National Executive Committee Meeting yesterday.

Among some of the takeaways from the meeting was the Presidential Primary Elections for the party which will be held on 19th January 2019. It was earlier suggested they pushed it March, but a majority voted against the idea.

Forms will cost GHC20,000 per aspirant and filing fee will cost Ghc400,000. Women aspirants and an additional reduction for disabled aspirants is pegged at 50% less.