The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has fixed nomination fees for the party’s presidential ticket at ¢100 million per candidate. The decision has however sent tongues wagging about the intention of the party leadership for fixing what many see as high filing fees. Sources in the party told Daily Guide that the decision to peg the nomination fee at ¢100 million was intended to price out some aspirants, who were considered as ‘brokemen’ so that the ticket could go to the highest bidder.

Even though the NDC Deputy General Secretary in charge of Operations, Baba Jamal denied that the party had taken a final decision on the ¢100 million filing fee, insiders said the high ceiling was aimed at separating serious contestants from pretenders.

Daily Guide learnt also that the NDC intends to use the high nomination fees to raise money for the congress since the party is cash-strapped. The party utility bills are in arrears, with morale at the lowest level among the staff of the headquarters. The NDC congress to select a presidential candidate is scheduled for December, with five people already indicating their intention to contest for the slot, seen as the first major primary since the formation of the party in 1992.

The aspiring candidates are the thrice defeated flagbearer, Prof John Evans Atta Mills who is presently undergoing medical treatment in South Africa, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former Minister of Education, now domiciled in London as head of an international organisation, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and cash-soaked Eddie Annan, a business mogul of Masai Empire. The rest are Alban Sumanu Bagbin, Minority Leader and MP for Nadowli West who is in Switzerland attending a conference and late entrant, Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, former Defence Minister in the NDC regime.

Daily Guide learnt that John Mahama, MP for Bole/Bamboi and former Communications Minister is still consulting with his supporters and sympathisers before plunging into the race. NDC sources said some people in the party were particularly not happy with the high nomination fees, which they described as outrageous. The aggrieved members who considered the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) decision as an attempt to sell the ticket to the highest bidder, were of the opinion that moving from a no-fee nomination in 2000 to ¢100 million was against the party’s grassroot philosophy and that it is an attempt to give the party’s ticket to moneybags.

The NDC presidential ticket should not be offered for sale to the highest bidder, the concerned party men said. The 2004 nomination fee was ¢20 million. The NDC took ¢20 million from Prof Mills and his challenger, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, prompting the former’s supporters to question the rationale. Jamal said however that no final decision had been taken on the filing fees, explaining that there were a number of proposals, which the FEC was forwarding to the National Executive Committee (NEC). The NEC, Jamal said, was meeting next month to take a decision on the fee as well as the timetable for the congress, including the venue.

Daily Guide learnt that if the party settled for lesser fees, then the aspirants would be asked to contribute to the cost of the congress, which could as well be over-exploited to the advantage of candidates with cash to spend. Baba Jamal, however, would not elaborate on the proposals before the NEC. The deputy general secretary would as well not talk on the venue for the congress. However, Daily Guide can confirm that Accra and Tamale have been pencilled down as the possible venue, except the odds favour Accra because of the volatile situation in the Northern Regional capital.