The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reiterated that government appointees who fail to resign from their positions will not be eligible to contest the party’s upcoming executive elections.
The party’s Acting IT Director, Jibril Mahdi, said the NDC’s guideline requiring appointees to first leave government before seeking party positions remains in force, warning that anyone still occupying a government role cannot participate in the elections.
“Whoever is in office is not qualified to contest our elections,” Mr Mahdi said on Citi News Digest on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
The comment comes as the NDC prepares to elect executives for key positions, with the party leadership directing government appointees interested in contesting to resign before filing their nominations.
Mr Mahdi said the party headquarters had not formally received resignation notices from most individuals reportedly stepping down, explaining that officials would only have official confirmation during the filing and vetting process.
“Officially, we have not received any notice from anybody that has resigned. Whatever we are hearing is based on the social media information because, at party headquarters, we are not the appointing authority,” he said.
He, however, confirmed that some individuals had resigned, including the regional chairman and regional communication officer of the Eastern Region, as well as Leland Tay, who is contesting for the national chairman position.
The NDC’s position could affect the ambitions of several government officials who may have been considering competing for party executive positions while maintaining their public appointments.
Mr Mahdi also dismissed the possibility of special exemptions for individuals seeking to avoid the resignation requirement, saying the party had not received any formal request for exceptions.
“For now, whoever is still in office is automatically ineligible to contest as it stands,” he said.
The NDC is expected to proceed with its internal electoral calendar after completing branch-level elections, with the party preparing its systems for the next stages of the process.
