The Northern Regional Council of Elders of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has endorsed the decision of the Functional Executive Committee in its appointment of Honourable Adolf Ali as acting Northern Regional Chairman of the party.
Their endorsement comes after the alleged agitation by supporters of Alhaji Rufai Vielim, one of the Vice Chairmen of the NDC in the Northern Region rejecting the appointment of Adolf Ali.
“We will not allow anyone to destroy our party in the region. We will not allow any ordinary person to be our chairman, unless Chairman Vielim”, they had said in their agitation.
The alleged supporters of Alhaji Rufai Vielim after issuing this warning also went and vandalized the party’s regional office amidst gunshots and destruction of whatever they could find there.
However, the Council of Elders of the party in the region at a press briefing on Monday August, 29th, 2022 stated that, “the Council of Elders unreservedly endorse the decision taken by the Functional Executive Committee in settling on Mr. Ali Adolf (one of the two Regional Vice Chairmen) as the Acting Regional Chairman until the next Regional Party Conference.”
The Secretary of the Northern Regional Council of Elders of the NDC, Alhaji Alhassan Umar Yussif, who addressed the media on behalf of his fellow members also condemned the actions by the alleged supporters of Alhaji Rufai Vielim.
Alhaji Umar, while condemning actions by the youth also called on the National Executive Committee to set up a committee to investigate the said attack to enable the appropriate structures of the Party to trigger Article 48 (Party Discipline) of the Party’s Constitution, to deal with this situation.
It would be recalled that, the NDC Functional Executives Committee, after the demise of its northern regional chairman Naa Alhaji Abdulai Ibrahim Mobila appointed Adolf Ali as the acting Northern Regional Chairman of NDC.
Read the full statement of the Regional Council of Elders below:
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE NORTHERN REGIONAL COUNCIL OF ELDERS ON THE VIOLENT ATTACKS ON THE NORTHERN REGIONAL SECRETARIATE OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS.
Good morning and welcome our friends from the media.
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen
First of all, we are extremely grateful for the swift response to our invitation to cover this Press Conference, though at a short notice. We have called you this morning for us as Council of Elders to address the recent happenings in our party in the Northern Region.
The attention of the Council of Elders has been drawn to the dastardly attack on the Northern Regional Secretariat of the NDC in Tamale on Tuesday 23rd August, 2022 by an unknown Youth Group within the Tamale Metropolis.
The Council of Elders considers this attack criminal, and has therefore called on the Law Enforcement Agencies to treat it as such.
It is the considered conviction and belief of the Council that the Regional Party Office that was attacked was built out of the contributions of committed and loyal members of the Party as far back as 1999, and continuously being furnished and equipped by dedicated members of the Party over the years. So, for any person or group of persons, (claiming to be Party Faithfuls) to take such a decision to unleash terror on the Office in this manner is difficult to comprehend. As a result, such behavior is considered “Anti-Party” and highly condemnable.
The Regional Council of Elders is therefore calling on the National Executive Committee to set up a committee to investigate the said attack to enable the appropriate structures of the Party to trigger Article 48 (Party Discipline) of the Party Constitution, to deal with this situation.
The Regional Council of Elders states and re-emphasizes that anybody found culpable in this heinous attack should not be shielded, and the lawful processes to deal with such persons or group of persons should proceed.
The Council urges that whoever in the Party in the Region is dissatisfied with any decision taken at any level, should use the Complaints and Appeals provisions (Article 49 of the Party Constitution) to seek redress rather than resort to needless violence that has the tendency of either dragging the name of the Party into disrepute or making the Party look unattractive to the voting public.
The Council wishes to use this opportunity to indicate strongly that the attack was the work of a few individuals and does not reflect the general feelings of the rank and file of the Party in the Region.
We call on the Youth of the Party in particular to exercise maximum restraint, and remain calm whilst further consultations continue to find lasting solutions to the current challenges of the Party in the Region.
In any case, the Council of Elders unreservedly endorse the decision taken by the Functional Executive Committee in settling on Mr. Ali Adolf (one of the two Regional Vice Chairmen) as the Acting Regional Chairman until the next Regional Party Conference.
We want to use this opportunity to thank you (media) for the wide coverage you gave to the funeral of our Late Chairman. Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulai Mobila, Tugu Yapalsi – Naa.
Thank you for your attention.
Story By: Alhassan Yakubu
