DAILY GRAPHIC, Friday, October 19, 2012, Pg. Okaikoi North NDC rival-factions go separate ways

Story: Mary Ankrah
There was confusion yesterday at the Okaikoi Electoral Commission District office when rival factions of the ruling National Democratic Congress attempted to file their nominations  to contest as parliamentary candidates for the Okaikoi North Constituency in the December elections.

This follows disagreement over who should file their nomination on the party’s ticket to contest the December parliamentary election in the Okaikoi North Constituency.

The two – Mr Andrew Okaikwei and Mr Abdul Nasiru Abass – had an encounter as to who was the approved parliamentary candidate.

According to the District Electoral Director, Mrs Gladys Pinkrah, she received Mr Abass’ nomination form which was attached with a letter of introduction signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Asiedu Nketia, stating that he (Abass) was the parliamentary candidate to contest on the ticket of the NDC in Okaikoi North.

While going through the process, she said, Mr Okaikwei challenged the process insisting he was the approved candidate.

He also had with him, a letter of introduction signed by the Greater Accra Regional NDC Chairman, Mr Ade Coker, and a court injunction stating he could file in as the parliamentary candidate for Okaikoi North.

“Actually, I was in a dilemma and did not know which nomination form to accept because they both came in with letters of introduction,” she said.

Mrs Pinkrah further explained that since she could not accept any of the two nomination forms from the two candidates she sent them to the EC head office together with the letters and the court injunction for further decision to be taken by the EC.

Supporters of both candidates who were clad in NDC T-shirts besieged the EC district office waiting for their candidates to file their nomination forms.

Some supporters of Mr Okaikwei besieged the EC district office to express their displeasure and anger about the situation.

They threatened that if the situation was not rectified in favour of their preferred candidate, Mr Okaikwei, they would not vote for the NDC party or would “vote skirt and blouse”.

 “We are going to form our own party, we are going independent. No more NDC,” Aunty Adiza and Jamila yelled on top of their voices.

In an interview with the constituency organiser for Okaikoi, Mr Carl Adugu, he said the national executive of the party met to resolve the issue and confirmed Mr Abass as the approved candidate for the Okaikoi North Constituency.

However, Mr Okaikwei told newsmen that he was going to file as an independent candidate, since the executives of NDC had failed to resolve the problem and recognised him as the parliamentary candidate for Okaikoi North.

“There is a big problem in the NDC party that needs to be solved and if President Dramani Mahama does not put his foot down to resolve those problems he will fail many people,” he observed.

True to his threat, Mr Okaikwei filed as an independent parliamentary candidate for  Okaikoi North while Mr Abass filed as the NDC candidate for the same constituency.

Earlier in the day, there was heavy police presence at the Constituency Office of the EC to prevent possible clashes between the factions.