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Aspirant in the NDC presidential race, Sylvester Mensah has turned down an offer by some party functionaries to financially contribute to his nomination and filing fees.

A group of branch and constituency executives as well as some unnamed Members of Parliament raised GHC187,000 to counter what they claimed to be a planned action by the leadership of the party “to auction the position to the highest bidder”.

“The NDC is a party for the grassroots regardless of economic status. We have decided to chart this path because we have absolute confidence in the leadership qualities of Hon Sylvester Mensah, and we believe that he understands the dynamics and expectations of the party and the country more than all aspirants in this NDC flagbearer race,” a statement signed by a group under the name Concerned NDC Branch and Constituency Executives for Sly, Volta Region, said.

Persons wishing to lead the opposition NDC into the 2020 are to cough up a whopping 20,000 cedis to pick nomination forms and 400,000 cedis as filing fees.

Sylvester Mensah like other aspirants has condemned the exorbitant fees which party executives have defended as a means of raising fund to run activities of the party, especially the presidential primary.

The concerned executives said Mr. Mensah’s campaign in the Volta Region has opened their eyes to his level of competence and ability to deliver on issues concerning the party and national development.

“We, therefore, share his views that the high fees are not only discriminatory but undermines our grassroots culture and subjects the entire party to bad press and public ridicule.”

But the group’s bid to offer financial support appears to have hit a snag.

“We, however, wish to express our frustration by the refusal of Hon Sly to accept our collective contribution of one hundred and eighty seven thousand Ghana cedis (GHc187,000) in support of his Nomination forms and filling fees for the leadership elections scheduled for 19th January 2018.”

The amount, the group that “believe in change” said was gathered from over 528 delegates, and warned of the consequences should Sylvester Mensah abandons his presidential ambition due to the fees.

“We wish to state that if Sylvester Adinam Mensah pulls out of the flagbearer race we shall withdraw from voting in both the party and national elections. Our earlier victory brought nothing to us and we won’t repeat same for another 4 years where accountability to the grassroots could be doubtful.

“We are convinced the NDC needs a new breath of life, a new leader and a new vision.”