Dr. Emmanuel Jones-Mensah, one of the persons seeking to lead the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as its parliamentary candidate in the Keta constituency in the 2024 polls, has described as bogus allegations contained in a petition challenging his eligibility to contest the internal poll.
The Functional Executive Committee of NDC at its meeting on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, deferred its decision on the eligibility of Mr. Jones-Mensah, for further probe.
The decision by the party’s FEC to put on hold the eligibility of Mr. Jones-Mensah was borne out of a petition which disclosed that his name was not in the official Ashaiman database of the party as of 2018.
“This was after FEC considered the report of a special committee that has been set up to determine certain special appeals emanating from the decisions of vetting committees of the party. During deliberations on the findings of the special committee by FEC, it became apparent that Mr. Emmanuel Jones-Mensah’s name was not in the official Ashaiman database of the party as of 2018”.
“FEC is expected to take a final decision on the eligibility or otherwise of the parliamentary aspirant upon receipt of a report from the party official who is responsible for the maintenance of the database of the party,” a source told Citi News.
Meanwhile, lawyers of Mr. Jones-Mensah had already written a letter to the NDC’s vetting committee in Keta dated April 4, 2023, rejecting the claims in the petition and calling for its dismissal.
Mr. Jones-Mensah’s lawyer, E.L Agbemava, in the letter, said, “The supposed petition, alleges some membership registration irregularities on the part of our client in the Keta and Ashaiman Constituencies but we on behalf of our client categorically deny all the allegations against him and urge the Vetting Committee to dismiss them as being false, malicious and misleading”.
“In the circumstances, we humbly request that the supposed petition against our client be dismissed with all the contempt and disdain it deserves”.
The lead lawyer explained that Dr. Jones-Mensah filed his nomination papers with the Keta Constituency Office stating his membership as the VALCO FLAT BASE I branch of the Ashaiman Constituency and not the Keta constituency.
The lawyers explained, “Dr. Emmanuel Jones-Mensah is a validly registered member of the National Democratic Congress at VALCO FLAT BASE I branch of the Ashaiman Constituency since 2018. Dr. Emmanuel Jones-Mensah is on record to have denounced and renounced registration of his name as a member of the Keta Constituency and has long dissociated himself from the wrongful insertion of his name in the Register. Dr. Emmanuel Jones-Mensah, therefore, filed his nomination papers with the Keta Constituency Office stating therein his membership of the VALCO FLAT BASE I branch of the Ashaiman Constituency and not the Keta Constituency”.
According to Jones-Mensah’s counsel, Jones-Mensah has not violated any of the party’s laws.
“It is palpably clear from the above that our client has not violated any laws be it the Party or national constitution or the party’s guidelines for the vetting of aspirants. It is our prayer that your venerable committee should not entertain vexatious and frivolous allegations against hardworking and dedicated members of the NDC who are ready to serve humanity and improve the fortunes of the party,” Mr. Jone-Mensah’s counsel argued.
Click here to read the full letter from Jones-Mensah’s counsel
