The National Executive Committee (NEC) and Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have reiterated and enforced provisions of the party’s constitution regarding eligibility to contest internal party positions.
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According to Section H: General Provisions of the NDC constitution, any party member holding an office by presidential or government appointment must resign at least six (6) clear months before filing nomination forms to contest for any position within the party.
The directive, which has the backing of both NEC and FEC, is aimed at promoting internal democracy, preventing the abuse of incumbency, and ensuring fairness in the party’s internal electoral processes.
However, the committees clarified that persons appointed as chairpersons or members of boards, or those holding similar roles, are exempt from this requirement and may contest party positions without resigning from their board appointments.
The categories of officials affected by the six-month resignation rule include:
Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Managing Directors (MDs), and their Deputies, as well as officers in analogous positions
Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) within Ghana’s local government system
Party sources say the decision by NEC and FEC is intended to ensure a level playing field as the NDC prepares for upcoming internal elections at the national, regional, constituency, and branch levels.
The leadership of the party has urged all aspiring candidates who fall within the affected categories to comply strictly with the constitutional provisions to avoid disqualification and unnecessary disputes during the internal electoral process.
The move has been widely interpreted as a signal of the NDC leadership’s commitment to discipline, transparency, and respect for the party’s constitution as it consolidates power as the ruling party.
