An aspiring Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Northern Region, Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Vellim, has pledged to unite all party members in ensuring that the party win power come 2024.
The NDC Northern Regional chairman hopeful made this known after going through the vetting process on Monday Oct 17, 2022.
“It is at the heart of my candidacy to fashion out a strategic policy aimed at uniting the party in the coming months to win the 2024 elections. I am determined to restore the much-needed party unity at all cost. I will create opportunities and avenues for everybody or group of persons desirous of seeing the NDC recapture power to participate in making the party strong,” he stated.
Five persons have been cleared to contest the party’s Northern Regional Chairmanship position; these include Ali Adolf John, Alhaji Ahmed Rufai, Umar Farouck Issahaq, Abdulai Baba Salifu, and Wumbei Godfred Apasinaba,
The main opposition NDC in the Northern Region will on Friday Nov 11, and Saturday Nov 12, 2022 go to the polls to elect new executives that will be leading the party for the next four years.
The major task ahead of the new set of executives is to lead the party to win the next elections. All aspirants are promising they have the capacity to execute the huge task ahead of the party.
Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Vellim who is First Vice Chairman of NDC in the Northern Region now contesting the Regional Chairmanship position for the first time has outlined a 5-point strategic agenda he will implement to enable the party win power come 2024. These include winning back the lost glory, making Northern Region the stronghold of NDC, uniting the youth wing, resourcing the women wing, building a professional forum for party members as well as uniting party members among others.
Below is the full statement:
17th October 2022
For Immediate Release
THE JOURNEY OF CHAIRMAN VELLIM TO WIN BACK THE NORTHERN REGION FOR THE NDC
I want to take this opportunity to salute the rank and file of our party, the NDC in the Northern region. I am pleased and humbled to inform all and sundry, that by the grace of the Almighty Allah been vetted successfully and I am number 4(four) on the ballot.
My decision to contest follows an extensive consultation with the grassroots, party executives across the eighteen constituencies, chiefs, opinion leaders and well-wishers who are determined to return the party to power in the next General elections of 2024.
My membership of the party dates back to 1992.Throughout the period I have been a committed member of the party, working at different levels and supporting party members at different level both in cash and kind. By dint of hard work and with the generosity of our party faithful, I was resoundingly elected as a Vice chairman of the Party at the last congress in 2018. Over the last four years I have had the privilege to serve the party as Regional Vice Chairman, I have played my part with humility, dedication and commitment with the overall objective of making the NDC a party that meets the legitimate and reasonable expectations of the electorate.
My Vision
My vision is to make the party an electoral winning Machine. A party that creates opportunities for all, a party that truly recognizes and reward hard work and loyalty. A party that motivates the rank and file to be part of the building process. The NDC has over the years enjoyed tremendous support from the five Northern Regions since 1992, largely due to the massive developmental projects undertaken by its leadership starting from the founder of the party president Rawlings of Blessed Memory to President Mills and then to our current leader president John Dramani Mahama. However, the results of the last election in the Northern region gives us course for concern. In the last elections, the party won nine parliamentary seats out of eighteen seats and winning the presidential polls by just 52%, the lowest since 1992.The hitherto stronghold of the party is increasingly becoming a swing region. It’s my vision to strategically reposition the party together with you, to break the barriers and win back the lost glory and make Northern Region the stronghold of NDC that it should be.
The Youth
The youth are the biggest assert we have as a party. They serve as the driving force of the party and deserves the best of attention and care. I envision to put in a place a robust and Marshall plan of action that will summon a new spirit of hope, liberate their potentials for the good of the party. It is my solemn commitment to put in measures to unite the youth front and jettison the divisions that has bedevil their front in the past few years. To this end, we shall organize a youth summit to include every faction of the youth group to build a united youth under the leadership of the regional youth organizer. A united youth is a defeat to factionalism, and I do not intend to relent on this noble objective, as it is at the heart of my determination to break the barriers to win back the lost glory. A united youth will enable us to mobilize our collective strength for an effective political campaign in 20204. Whilst they lead our political campaign in opposition, they will also lead our job creation agenda in government.
Commitment to Our Women
Our commitment to our women’s wing is unwavering. They are the bed rock of our party machinery and will remain so moving into the future. As we seek to recapture power in 2024, I shall together with you given the opportunity to serve as Regional Chairman ensure that the women’s wing of the party is well resource and motivated through our regional women organizer in a way that has never been seen in the region. We shall stand with them every step of the way in addressing their logistical needs. Our door-to-door campaigns shall be led by the women and the youth groups because of their strategic touch in executing an effective campaign.
Building a Professional Forum
Drawing from the positive impact of the NDC professional’s forum led by Ambassador Sam Pee Yarley, given the opportunity as the Chairman, it is measured drive to create an effective space for the Professionals Forum in the Region. The objective is to network the brain power of our professionals and academics with a view of providing a strategic and quality advice to the party in our quest to win election 2024.The forum will serve as a resource pool for the various committees of the party such as the communication, strategy, legal and research committees.
Related to the professional forum is the forum for former metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCE’s) as well as the forum for former members of parliament. I intend when voted as Regional Chairman to re-activate those forums and establish a regular engagement with them. The overall objectives are to make a tremendous use of their vast knowledge and experience as we seek to regain our majority seats in the region and win the next general elections. I shall seek their wise counsel and work with them in implementing our campaign policies.
Party Unity
At the heart of the party programs, it is at the heart of my candidacy to fashion out a strategic policy aimed at uniting the party in the coming months to win the 2024 elections. I am determined to restore the much-needed party unity at all cost. I will create opportunities and avenues for everybody or group of persons desirous of seeing the NDC recapture power to participate in making the party strong. I shall reach out to everyone and at all levels of the party. I shall build a very strong coordination mechanism among the various organs of the party such as the parliamentary caucus, CDR’s, the youth groups, women groups, elders of the party etc. It’s my commitment to do all this immediately after congress if I am voted as Regional Chairman by the grace of the Almighty Allah.
The Victory is coming again
The victory is surely coming again, and His Excellency president John Dramani Mahama will be our next president once again. Insha Allah, the NDC under my leadership as Regional Chairman shall regain our parliamentary majority in the region with at least thirteen constituencies out of the eighteen. On the presidential ballot, we promise to win a minimum of 65% for our presidential candidate.
My beloved Comrades and party faithful, I do not believe the task ahead of us can be done by only one individual. I am extending my fraternal hand in humility to you the delegates, party faithful, members, grassroots and sympathizers to join me and let us win the Chairmanship together, work together, break the barriers together, win our lost glory together, win back the Northern Region together for the NDC and restore the region together as the stronghold of our beloved party and walk the NDC together back into the flagstaff house in 2025.
Thank you and may God bless the great NDC
God bless H.E John Dramani Mahama
God bless our homeland Ghana
….SIGNED…..
Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Vellim
Northern Regional Chairman, Hopeful.
Story By: Alhassan Yakubu
