“I think it has to do with the person who was sent to do the consultation but we apologize to Togbe Afede,” the NDC’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia told Citi News.
Togbe Afede who is also a renowned businessman was named as a member of the NDC Economic Committee headed by Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur to advise the party on issues relating to the economy.The party’s National Organizer, Kofi Adams, strongly defended his inclusion and insisted that the constitution has not been breached in any way.
But a few hours after the announcement, Togbe Afede, rejected the offer in an exclusive interview with Citi News.
He denied being a sympathizer of the NDC as suggested by the leadership of the party.
Togbe Afede said that working for previous governments does not make him a sympathizer of any political party.
Offering the apology to the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Asiedu Nketia said the announcement was a “communication error.”
He explained that the party was dealing with about 200 names in the forming of its numerous committees “so once in a while, you can get infractions here and there but we take responsibility for the inconvenience.”
He acknowledged that it is public knowledge that Togbe Afede is a very respectable business man in Ghana which is why the NDC thought it wise to tap into his “business knowledge in the area of developing our politics around the economy.”
Asiedu Nketia disclosed that someone was sent to consult him over his possible inclusion on the committee but the turnout of events indicate that “the consultation was not concluded and information was not properly delivered and so we apologize for the embarrassment.”
Article 27.6 Clause 1 of the 1992 constitution dictates that “a chief shall not take part in active partisan politics and any chief wishing to do so and seeking election to Parliament shall abdicate his stool or skin.” Article 27.6 Clause 2 of the constitution also indicates that “notwithstanding clause 1 of this Article, and paragraph C of Clause 3 of Article 94 of this constitution, a chief may be appointed to a public office for which he is otherwise qualified.”
Based on the Article 27.6 Clause 2, the NDC argued that since the party is not a private institution, Togbe Afede is qualified to work on the committee.
However, private legal practitioner, Samuel Atta Akyea disagreed with their assertion and said: “NDC cannot be a public institution. It’s not subvented by the state…NDC is a political party and with all due respect, they appoint their own officers and the rest of it so for anybody to say that NDC is a public institution is an abuse of our understanding of what politics is about.”
Click on link below to listen to Asiedu Nketia’s apology
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By: Efua Idan Osam
(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)