The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Deputy Director of Elections and IT, Rashid Tanko Computer has expressed surprise over a court injunction restraining five co-opted constituency members from participating in the party’s regional executive elections, indicating that the National Election Directorate is yet to receive formal notification of the legal action.
While calling for formal notification of the interlocutory injunction, Mr Computer reiterated that the National Election Directorate and the party’s General Secretary addressed several disputes concerning the selection of co-opted constituency executives.
“This is news to me and my team at the National Election Directorate. If it had come to the notice of the National Election Directorate, we would have dealt with it.”
Rashid Tanko Computer
The Deputy Director explained that the party previously identified irregularities in the selection of co-opted executives in certain constituencies, prompting the General Secretary to issue directives for the affected structures to rectify their processes. He noted that the National Election Directorate, headed by Mahdi Gibril, worked with the General Secretary to resolve those matters before the regional elections.
Mr Computer consequently questioned why some members would resort to litigation without first exhausting the party’s internal procedures.
He emphasised that the National Election Directorate and the General Secretary are accessible to members seeking clarification or redress over electoral disagreements. “We want to have documentation,” he remarked, explaining that the party would not treat reports circulating on social media as formal notification of legal proceedings.
He further identified the party’s Legal Directorate, headed by Edudzi Tamakloe, as the appropriate body to examine any court action formally brought to its attention.
The Deputy Director also pointed to the General Secretary’s earlier communication outlining the procedures for selecting the five co-opted members at constituency level. He asserted that the directives circulated across the country and that constituencies encountering difficulties were instructed to correct their processes accordingly.
According to Mr Computer, the party has dealt with similar concerns across its constituency structures, making the reported injunction particularly surprising to the national election administration. He expressed the view that members should comply with the General Secretary’s instructions, whom he identified as the party’s chief executive.
The Nalerigu High Court has barred five NDC constituency executives from participating in the party’s Regional Executive Elections following a legal challenge over their co-option into the constituency executive committee.
NDC Cites Constitutional Rules In Disqualifying 23 Aspirants
Following the conclusion of vetting for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) national executive elections, the party has defended the disqualification of 23 aspirants, insisting that the exercise “strictly enforced constitutional requirements governing eligibility for national positions.”
The Deputy Director of Elections and IT, Rashid Tanko Computer contends that the affected aspirants failed to “satisfy the party’s stipulated qualifications.”
In an interview, Mr Computer explained that the party subjected applicants to a rigorous assessment to ensure that only qualified candidates proceed to the next stage. He indicated that 121 aspirants successfully filed their nominations, but the number fell to 98 after the vetting exercise, leaving 23 unsuccessful.
“We don’t do try and error at the national level. We make sure that people who are to occupy the national position are people who have experience in party organization from the constituency to regional before getting to the national.”
Rashid Tanko Computer
The Deputy Director characterised the vetting panel as “an experienced team comprising longstanding party members” and legal practitioners familiar with the NDC’s constitutional provisions.
Mr Computer explained that the eligibility requirement was deliberately designed to ensure that individuals seeking national executive positions understood the party’s organisational structures before assuming responsibilities at the highest level. Consequently, previous service on campaign committees, conference committees or other ad hoc bodies could not substitute for the recognised executive positions prescribed by the constitution.
He particularly cautioned aspirants against conflating committee appointments with executive service, emphasising that the two categories carry different constitutional implications. “The party constitution recognised 28 executives as executive members in the constituency,” he elucidated, explaining that the constituency structure comprises elected and co-opted positions. At the regional level, he identified 18 elected executives and three co-opted members, bringing the total to 21.
The Deputy Director stressed that national officers are expected to coordinate the activities of regional and constituency structures. In his assessment, prior executive experience equips prospective national leaders with the institutional understanding required to perform those responsibilities effectively.
Meanwhile, the vetting exercise has paved the way for the successful aspirants to begin campaigning as official candidates rather than aspirants. Mr Computer confirmed that the party has completed balloting for the various positions immediately after vetting each category, enabling candidates to know their positions on the ballot before leaving the premises.
Mr Computer further indicated that several other national positions would be uncontested, including the General Secretary, National Organiser and National Communications Officer positions. He noted that the regional elections were the immediate priority, ahead of the national congress scheduled for December 19.
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