All the flagbearer aspirants of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should reject the GHS400,000 filing fee being charged by the party, Nii Amassah Namoale, a former Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, has said.

According to the Campaign Coordinator for one of the aspirants, Prof Joshua Alabi, the amount is “outrageous”.

Mr Namoale called on the Council of Elders of the NDC to intervene.

All male flag bearer aspirants of the NDC are expected to pay GHS400,000 as filing fee while female flag bearer aspirants are to pay GHS200,000 and persons with disability aspiring to the same position are to pay GHS150,000.

The nomination form for the flag bearer slot is going for GHS20,000.

Also, the parliamentary aspirants are expected to pay GHS20,000 as filing fees. Female parliamentary aspirants will pay half of that.

The party took the decision at a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday, 29 November at the party’s headquarters in Accra. According to the party, all aspirants have up to 10 days to submit the [properly filled forms].

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on Thursday, 29 November 2018, Mr Namoale said: “In fact, the amount is outrageous and unreasonable but this is a NEC decision. We will like to appeal to the Council of Elders to meet with the NEC to review that amount."

He added that: "The unreasonableness is on the date, you cannot use 10 days to tour the whole country to sign on the form; you can't. [It] ... is too short a time..."

"No matter what, Prof Alabi will still contest. I will plead with the other flag bearer aspirants including former president Mahama to reject the amount, the fee should come below GHS100,000", he said.