LET OUR INTERNAL ELECTIONS BE ABOUT LEADERSHIP, SERVICE AND UNITY
(Seidu Nurudeen)
Cont: 0242541505
As we approach our internal elections to elect constituency executives who will steer the affairs of the NDC in the Daboya/Mankarigu Constituency for the next four years, there is a need for all aspirants, delegates and party faithful to approach the contest with maturity, responsibility and a clear understanding of what is at stake.
This contest should not be about who can hurl insults the fastest. It should not be about personal attacks, character assassination, division or tribalism. Rather, it should be about ideas, leadership, service, competence and the ability to move our party forward.
Our aspirants must go before the delegates with a clear message about what they intend to offer the party when given the mandate. They should tell delegates what they seek to achieve, the challenges they have identified within the party, and the practical measures they intend to implement to address those challenges.
The question should be simple: What can you bring to the table?
What new ideas will you introduce? How will you strengthen our branches? How will you mobilise and motivate our grassroots? How will you improve communication between the constituency leadership and the rank and file? How will you unite the party after the elections? And how will you use your office to contribute meaningfully to the growth and progress of the NDC?
Delegates, on the other hand, have an important responsibility. Do not merely listen to slogans, insults or emotional appeals. Look directly into the eyes of the aspirants and ask them what they can do with the office they seek. Ask them about their vision, their plans, their commitment and their ability to work with everyone, regardless of differences.
Our internal elections must be a platform for healthy competition, not a battlefield for destroying one another.
We must remember that after the ballots are counted, we will still have one party to build, one family to unite, a government to defend and a nation to govern. Therefore, whatever differences emerge during the campaign must never be allowed to destroy the bonds that hold us together as comrades.
There must be no room for tribal politics or divisive messages in our branches. Any aspirant who visits a branch should go there to unite, inspire, present ideas and seek the support of delegates—not to preach tribalism, hatred or division. Our branches belong to the entire party, and every member deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
Let us therefore make this internal election a contest of ideas over insults, service over selfishness, unity over division, competence over propaganda, and vision over empty promises.
To all aspirants: Tell the delegates what you can do. Tell them what you have to offer. Tell them how you intend to serve.
The vetting process for all aspirants was successfully completed yesterday, and every aspirant now knows his or her position on the ballot.
As we officially move into the campaign period, I urge all aspirants and their supporters to campaign with dignity, maturity and respect for one another.
To all delegates: Listen carefully, ask difficult but constructive questions, examine the ideas presented to you, and make your choice based on the leadership qualities and plans each aspirant brings to the table.
The election will come and go, but the party will remain. Let us conduct ourselves in a manner that strengthens the NDC rather than weakens it.
One party. One family. One purpose. One future.
Let our internal elections produce leadership capable of building a stronger, more united and more effective party for the years ahead.
