An Aspiring Women’s Organizer for Wa Central Constituency, Madam Bashiru Saudatu has had her Candidature Challenged by some party members and stakeholders. According to the Petition, the Candidate has her vote in Wa East Constituency but filed for an executive position in Wa Municipality, a move they termed as illegal.
Petition
1. This recent appeal is brought before the NDC National Secretarial as a result of the Regional Appeals Committee’s delay to sit on an appeal that was filed before it on a
decision taken by the Vetting Committee of Wa Central Constituency. On September
29, 2022, a petition was submitted to the Wa Central Constituency vetting committee challenging the eligibility of Bashiru Saudatu who is an aspirant for the women’s organizers posilion of the constituency.
The ground for that petition was that the aspirant is not a registered voter in Wa Central Constituency and hence could not be regarded as a qualified candidate properiy so called 10 contest NDC Executive position in Wa Central Constituency.
The vetting Committee however cleared Bashiu Saudatu to contest as women organizer for Wa Central Constituency despite not being a registered voter or having a voting right in the said Constitiency, The ground for this appeal is that the decision of the Vetting committee was decided per incuriam and contrary to section A(ii) of the Vetting Guidelines issued by the party for the conduct of the 2022 constituency elections.
2. On the basis of this decision that we submitted an appeal to the Regional Appeals Committee to set aside the decision of the constituency velting comittee and declare the aspirant eligible to contest as women organizer for Wa Central Constiluency.
Since the appeal was submitled to the Regional Appeals Commitlee on October 4,
2022 and copied to the National Secretariat, we were hoping for at least, to rcceive official acknowledgement of receipt of our appeal, But sadly, that was never done and we were left to remain in the dark with no knowledge of what is happening.
3. Upon realizing that the Regional Appeals Committee was not forthcoming about the
appeal that we laid before them, we took steps to inquire from the Chairman of the Regional Appeals Committee for the Upper West Region, Prof William Ahadzie whom we had sufficiently served the appeal with via Whatsapp and through the
Committee members on the very day the appeal was filed, In his response to our inquiries, he indıcated that he will look through it and he had since said nothing or issue a statement in reference to the appeal to the best of our knowledge. Neither any
of the regional appeals committee members nor the Regional Secretariat of the party said anything with respect to the issue even though they Were all served. We made efforts to reach the Chairman of the Regional Appeals Committee to speak to the issue again but illt proved futile.
Looking at the posture of the Regional Appeals Commitiee and the time constrains placed on the constituency election which is scheduled to take off next week Saturday October 22, 2022, we think that it is reasonable to lay the appeal before the National Secretariat lor a specdy resolution to the issue. We are of the view that this is even the best forum and of course the highest level for dispute resolution in the party if thelower levels arc incapable ol dealing with an issue justly and expeditiously.
As envisioned by Article 49(1)(c) of the NDC Constitution as amended 2018, we are ordered to exhaust the internal appeal procedure contained in the party’s constitution before recourse to legal proceedings or adverse publication on the media. It is in this light that we respectfully submit this fresh appeal and invite the National Secretariat of the party to consider it and bring speedy conclusion to the issue before the election commences on October 22, 2022. The attached copies are; the letter of appeal filed before the Regional Appeals Committee, a written judgment of the constituency vetting committee, proof of polling station and constituency of the aspirant for your perusal.
Thank you
Source: Upperwestmedia.net