Government appointees seeking party positions must resign six months to elections – NDC
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has issued a directive requiring all full-time government appointees eyeing executive positions within the party to resign from their current offices at least six months before filing their nomination.
The restriction specifically targets individuals holding offices to which they were appointed by the Government.
Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary, announced these guidelines during a press briefing at the party’s headquarters in Accra on Thursday.
The move was part of a broader effort to ensure a transparent, fair, and disciplined reorganisation process, he said.
However, the General Secretary clarified that chairpersons and members of boards, or those in analogous positions, are exempted because they are not considered full-time employees.
The categories of officials expected to step down include Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors and their deputies, as well as Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
He noted that to ensure absolute clarity and prevent administrative bottlenecks, the party had set specific resignation deadlines based on the level of office the candidate intended to contest.
“Those intending to contest at the constituency level must resign by April 2026, while those eyeing regional positions have until May 2026 to resign. Candidates for national-level offices are required to vacate their government posts by June 2026,” he said.
Mr Kwetey said those provisions were firm, constitutional, and would be enforced without exception, warning prospective candidates that there would be no room for pleas or exemptions.
He emphasised that the reorganisation process was not merely about electing new officers but about resetting the nation by first strengthening the party’s internal democracy.
“If the party is handled correctly, the government will follow suit, but weakening the party automatically weakens the government,” he said.
Mr Kwetey called on all members to prioritise the collective interest over personal ambitions, while urging the branch to the national level executives to act with integrity and transparency.
Source: GNA