President John Dramani Mahama’s contender George Boateng has indicated that he will not return his presidential nomination form to the office of the National Democratic Congress for another because the presidential nomination form he acquired is original and hence valid.
George Boateng picked nomination form on Monday to contest the Presidential slot of the ruling National Democratic Congress. His decision has stirredup controversy with many questioning his qualification and leadership quality to contest the president in the upcoming presidential primaries. General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia on Thursday said the form issued to George Boateng is a “draft” and hence not valid. According to him, issuing the presidential form is a sole mandate of the general secretary of the party and no one else. He disclosed that staff members who issued the form to George Boateng have been dismissed.
But speaking on Accra based TV3 Thursday, the embattled presidential aspirant said he is not perturbed about the comments of the general secretary and that his form is valid and not a draft as purported by the general secretary. According to George Boateng, he will not return the form to the party office because they are valid and hence he will use them to enter the race.
“What Asiedu Nketia is saying is not true. He is just throwing dust intothe eyes of the public. My form is original and Asiedu Nketia told me that I should bring my form for embossment and that he has the seal in front of him but I told him once my hands have been laid on the form I will not return it to him. So what he is saying is just not true. I will not return the form to him” he said.
The livid presidential hopeful has threatened to go to court to halt the entire presidential primaries if he is not allowed to contest in the NDC presidential primaries. According to him, there have been plans to prevent him from having access to the form but that plan could not work.
“They planned to stop me from getting the form but the plan could not work. The administrator revealed the secret to me that they planned to prevent me from getting the form but I was very fast and intelligent so I moved fast to go pick the form so before Asiedu Nketia realized I already had my form which is original. It is the accountant who went and picked it for me. It is the same accountant to went and paid the presidents nomination fee. The same accountant told me the president paid his nomination fee last Friday. So the accountant is right. I am still in the race and I want the public to know that am still in the race. I have started my campaign underground. My coordinators are working very hard across all the regions so very soon all my forms will be endorsed and I will contest. If you refuse to collect it then I will go to the law court to challenge Asiedu Nketia or I will let the court put injunction on the whole election” he added.
George Boateng further added that President John Dramani Mahama has embarrassed himself by failing to go in person to the party’s office to pick his nomination form. He asserted that the president did not visit the party office in person because he (President Mahama) knows that the form acquired by him (George Boateng) is original.
“The president could not turn up at the party office so he has embarrassed himself. The president has also been embarrassed by the general secretary. The president knows that I have the original form. The president also knows that I have paid my fees. So the president has been embarrassed by General Asiedu Nketia” he noted.
Vice President Amissah Arthur Thursday picked President Mahama’s nomination form on his behalf and indicated that the president is ready for a contest with interested party individuals who might wish to lead the party in the presidential polls on the ticket of the NDC in the 2016 general elections.
By: Azongo Albert | A1radioonline.com | Ghana
