Michael Nii Yarboi Annan, the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) disqualified parliamentary candidate in the Odododiodio constituency, maintains that he has been a member of the party for the last four years.
Mr. Annan was barred from running in the party’s parliamentary primary in the Odododiodio constituency due to recommendations made against him by the special committee that was formed by the NDC’s Functional Executive Committee (FEC).
The party claimed that Mr. Annan had violated the 4-year mandatory membership requirement.
During an interview on the Point Blank Segment on Eyewitness News, Mr. Yarboi stated that there was a deliberate scheme to get him out of the race, stressing that he disagrees with portions of the committee’s report.
He said he paid his dues, which were backdated to 2017, after the party’s chairman, Ashie Moore, prompted him.
“Yes, I have been in good standing of NDC membership for four years. I have the old and the new party card as well. Out of love, I paid my dues more than I was supposed to pay in 2019, which was backdated to 2017. What I was told by the chairman is what I did; how then will that be the basis to disqualify me?” he asked.
The parliamentary hopeful debunked claims of having challenges in the NDC, indicating that he doesn’t have enemies in the NDC.
“I have a perfect relationship with my constituency executives. I have a perfect relationship with some regional executives. Those that I don’t have a relationship with, our paths have never crossed; we are not friends. At the national level, I don’t think I have anybody as my enemy there.”
Asked why he has refused to accept the disqualification, he said, “If I feel something is wrong, it is wrong; if I know it is wrong, then I know it is wrong.”
Michael Nii Yarboi Annan further dismissed claims that he publicly fraternized with NPP members after he defected to the NDC.
According to the party, considering the evidence presented, the special committee was unable to endorse Mr. Annan’s qualification to contest the parliamentary primaries in the Odododiodio constituency based on article 41(8)(b) of the NDC Constitution, which provides that, “a member must be an active member of the party at the constituency level for the four years immediately preceding the date of filing nominations.”
The party said the Committee discovered that Mr. Annan was formerly a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who contested and lost the NPP parliamentary primary in the Odododiodio Constituency in September 2019.
