Former Kumasi Mayor and NDC flagbearer candidate Kojo Bonsu has criticised the high nomination fee for flagbearer candidates.
The NDC has set a filing fee of GH¢500,000 for its presidential primary, and a fee of GH¢40,000 for its parliamentary primary.
The former mayor of Kumasi told journalists that he disagrees with the party’s choice to decide on that amount of fees for candidates when he presented his nomination form at the NDC’s headquarters on Wednesday.
“It is a lot of money. I do not support it. Does it mean that if I do not have that amount of money, but I have the capacity, and I’m competent enough to run for the leadership of the party, I can’t contest? And this is a Social Democratic Party?” he lamented.
In his speech to his supporters and delegates, Kojo Bonsu also gave them the assurance that he would not drop out of the race despite the fierce opposition.
He announced in 2018 that he would run for the party’s flagbearership in the 2020 elections, but he later announced that he would drop out of the race and support whoever won the primary contest.
However, in response to criticism regarding the potential for a dropout, the former mayor vowed to never let his supporters down.
“You got it all wrong. The last time, (2018) I did not go further to pick and file a nomination but today, I have paid GH¢500,000. Do you think I will drop and let it go? I am not that rich. So, I will contest, and my chances are very bright”, he said.
Additionally, Kojo Bonsu stated that if elected, he would rebrand the NDC, establish regional and constituency offices across the country, open bank accounts for the offices, and offer jobs to two members of each constituency in each region.
