Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, George Lawson, has said that the Former President, John Dramani Mahama does not require permission from anybody in the party to embark on a tour or to meet with party members.

This comes on the back of the calls by NDC pressure group; Action movement for the sanctioning of Mr. John Mahama for what they describe as an illegal scheduled meeting between the former President and Greater Accra Regional Executives of the party.

The group claims it has become aware of a purported press release signed by the Greater Accra regional Secretary of the NDC – V.S. Quarshie Adonoo, inviting the regional executives for a meeting with the former leader, John Mahama at the MP’s Caucus Club House at La on Friday 21st July 2017. According to them, this is a move by the former President intended to kick start his campaign for the 2020 flag-bearership elections.

Speaking on Joynews however, Mr. Lawson described the calls by the group as an act of gross indiscipline insisting that the former President owes no one an explanation if at any point in time, he decides to hold an internal meeting. According to him, the former President, holding a very respectable position in the party as a member of the Council of Elders and a former leader, requires no permission whatsoever if he wants to meet and or interact with his colleagues or members of the party.

“This is indiscipline. This is a formal leader, a formal leader who wants to interact with members of the party….what is wrong with that? He is not an ordinary person, he is a member of the Council of Elders. He holds a very important position in the party, he can be the Chairman of the Council of Elders if the founder is not around”.

He maintained that nowhere in the party’s constitution has it been stated that a former leader should seek permission from the party Chair or anyone else for that matter prior to any meetings with party executives.

“Which part of the party’s constitution says that a former leader or former President cannot call a meeting? There’s nothing in the constitution like that”, he stated.

In a rebuttal however, Kojo Hamenya Keglo who is spokesperson for the group said the former President had sidelined the due process. He stated that it was the mandate of the party Chair and Regional Chairs to hold such meetings and hence the former President’s scheduled meeting was out of place.

“This is the same thing we did before 2016 elections. Our constitution says that when we are in opposition, all meetings should be under the auspices of the Chairman of the party and he organizes all meetings so if you are pushing the chairman aside, you are also pushing the Regional Chairman aside, and you are organizing this meeting, it is illegal…they are violating our constitution”, he said.