A group within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) calling itself Victory for JDM 2016 is accusing incumbent Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram E. T. Mensah, who is a prominent member of the governing party, of plotting the defeat of his own party and its parliamentary candidate in his constituency in this year's polls.

The group, in a statement accused Mr Mensah of donating GHC50,000 to the parliamentary candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party in the constituency, Mr Sylvester Tetteh.

The group said in a statement that: “We the grassroots supporters of the great NDC party wish to remind Hon. E.T Mensah that we made him who he is today but he has decided to turn his back on the same party and grassroots that made him who he is today. But what we are telling him is that he cannot deceive us to get to where he is today and try to destroy our great party in the Ningo Prampram constituency.”

Mr Mensah lost the ticket to his ex-protégé, Samuel George Nartey, in a bitterly contested primary late last year. He has refused to pledge his support to Mr George Nartey.

The Convener of the group, David Anthony Mayor, told Kwame Dwomoh-Agyemang on 12Live on Class91.3FM on Friday that it had given Mr Mensah a 48-hour ultimatum to come clean on certain issues (see below) in the constituency or face its members’ wrath.

Below is the full statement issued by the group:

E.T. MENSAH CANNOT FOOL THE GRASSROOTS OF NDC SUPPORTERS

It is a fact that Hon. E.T Mensah is no mean a person to our great party the National Democratic Congress,(NDC) considering his years of dedication, commitment and service to our party, his constituency Ningo Prampram and Ghana at large, served as Sports Minister and Minister of Social Welfare in the Rawlings and Late Prof Mills led administration respectively. In fact his hard work to our party can never be underestimated.

However, we the grassroots supporters of the great NDC party wish to remind Hon. E.T Mensah that, we made him who he is today but he has decided to turn his back at the same party and grassroots that made him who he is today. But what we are telling him is that he cannot deceive us to get to where he is today and try to destroy our great party in the Ningo Prampram Constituency for us.

Hon. E.T Mensah after we sending him to parliament for a longer period thinks that he is the only one who can serve our constituency in parliament and will, therefore, not give the youth any chance to serve. If for nothing at all you have served as MP since 1992 and have lost the primaries in a democratic way so why are you turning your back at the party now?

We are by this statement giving you a 48hours ultimatum to come out and respond to the following allegations or else we will declare you as an enemy to both the grassroots and the great NDC and you will feel our heat on the street.

(1) Why did the wife of the 72 years old man Rebecca Akufo-Addo stand on a platform at Prampram to say: “Hon. E.T Mensah is part of us now”?

(2) Why did the NPP announce just last Saturday that Hon. E.T Mensah will be part of their health walk?

(3) Why have you given GHC50,000 to the NPP parliamentary candidate as your support for him?

(4) Why did the NPP Constituency Chairman for Ningo Prampram in one of their rallies in Prampram say they came to see you (Hon ET Mensah) and you told them to go and look for Sylvester Tetteh because it’s his turn to represent the Ningo Prampram in parliament?

(5) Why does the NPP campaign team in the Ningo Prampram constituency now go about telling people you have their backing so they should vote the NPP parliamentary candidate?

We are asking the regional executives of our great NDC party to investigate all these matters and let us know the truth.

We are also giving a 48-hour ultimatum to Hon. E.T Mensah to come out and clear the air or else he will feel our heat.

The victory of JDM and all his parliamentary candidates is what we in the victory for JDM 2016 group and all our affiliates are seeking. We, therefore, plead with our dear father Hon. E.T Mensah to refrain from actions that will impede the victory of the NDC and President John Dramani Mahama in the 7th December Polls.