Mubarak: NDC party gurus bribed delegates with GH¢3,000, phones

A defeated National Youth Organiser of the ruling NDC has accused party leaders of bribing delegates in the just ended Congress held in Sunyani on Saturday. Ras Mubarak alleges that Western Regional delegates were given, GH¢3,000 each as well as mobile phones as inducement before casting their votes. Mubarak lost to Ludwik Hlose who is secretary at the office of the Chief of Staff in a competitive election which saw Anita De Souza being elected as National Women’s Organiser. I can inform you on authority that Western Regional delegates were given ¢30,000,000 (GH¢3,000) on the afternoon before election. I can tell you on authority that mobile phones were distributed in the evening and morning before elections,” he told Joy News’ Sammy Darko in an interview. Asked if he could substantiate his allegations, Mubarak responded in the affirmative, saying “to win an election in NDC, you either have to belong to the Rawlings camp or the Castle camp. Mubarak also accused party gurus of underhand manipulations in order to have Ludwik elected into office. "He was not in the race in the first place. This is someone who works in the office of the president as an aide. Automatically by the guidelines that were released by the National Executive Committee of the party, he is a government staff and did not qualify to have contested in that race," he alleged. He accused a minister, whose name he did not mention, of talking candidates out of the contest even before the elections took place. Describing Ludwik as a likeable and easy going person, Mubarak explained that his concerns were not borne out of sour grapes but out of the desire to see Ghanaian politics in which a fair playing field is created for everybody no matter the background. But the National Youth Organiser elect who takes over from Communications Minister Haruna Iddrisu has dismissed the allegations. Ludwik Hlose said his hard work and determination earned him his new position. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana