A member of the National Democratic Congress’ Greater Accra Legal Committee, Wayoe Ghanamannti, the lawyer who gained prominence after representing the two Achimota Rastafarian students, has resigned from the party.
He has since joined the Convention People’s Party, CPP, and has picked their membership card.
In a letter addressed to the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Aseidu Nketia, Mr. Ghanamannti said his resolution is that the real social democratic discourse he hopes to see for national development cannot be realised by the current governance style of the party.
“The NDC I envisage, as a party that is to take this nation onto a more prosperous path, where the coming generation of Ghanaians, would wake up daily and look over the horizon and say, yes, our future is bright, I am at pains to say that, is not the NDC I see in sight.”
Mr. Ghanamannti further complained that some proposals he made at the party’s last National Delegates Congress were sidelined.
“On the 10th of June 2021 during the 29th Anniversary of the party, the National Chairman called for the reopening of the Party’s Hero’s Fund, to reward party members for remarkable services. This call reminds me of a series of ‘constitutional amendments’ which I led a team to put forward at the last National Delegates Congress.”
“These proposed amendments were tailored to reorganise the party’s structural base so that ordinary members who serve their entire lives for the party and who do not gain any meaningful public office could be recognised and reflected in the holistic family character of the party when in and out of government. It is not surprising that ‘none of the over fifteen (15) proposed amendment clauses were even recognised for tabling at the Congress and, as usual, the fear of them being jettisoned, was realised.”
He has thus decided to resign and align himself with a political party that can deliver on this social democratic ideology in a more “practical manner.”
“On this note, based on my convictions, I have no option than to resign from the NDC, which I so do by this letter. It was a political journey of highs and lows with the NDC, I wish the NDC well and I know my position on the Greater Accra Legal Committee, would be filled by an able NDC Lawyer.”
“I am convinced to move on, so I can render my political contributions to any other social Democratic Party, to help advance its political course for the practical realisation of this ideology for Ghana’s advancement,” he added.
He noted that his fidelity to the course of the party was hitherto very strong.
“Before the 2012 elections, my learned friend and now Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapour, then an officer in the office of the President, Nana Akufo Addo, then Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, took a couple of classmates from our Law School class to meet Nana Addo, in an entourage of which I was a member. Yet, I refused to cross carpet because my social democratic nature and belief would not allow me.”
“Many months after our meeting with Nana Akufo Addo, my learned friend kept insisting that Nana Akufo Addo would like to see me again because Nana believed in young Ghanaians who were passionate about our country. Yet, I kept telling my learned friend that, I cannot become an NPP person because of ideological differences and that my conscience will not rest if I jettison my social democratic nature for any other political ideology.”
“This is how strong my loyalty is in respect of the political ideology our party is supposed to be manifesting. However, over the years, my resolution to continue to be a member of the NDC based on it being a social Democratic Party, that puts this ideology in real practice has gradually diminished.”
