Some branch executives of the governing NDC have petitioned the party’s vetting committee to disqualify an aspirant from contesting the Salaga South constituency primary.

The party has set September 23 to vet aspirants seeking to represent it in the next parliament, but four members of the party believe Dan Saaka Ahmed (Alhaji Danjumah) should not be part.

The petitioners have also appealed both President Mahama and party founder, former President Rawlings, to intervene to ensure that the name of the Salaga South Constituency and the NDC in general is not brought into disrepute.

The petition dated September 7, 2014 was signed by Seidu Mahamadu Chairman Sokpekope; Soale Issahaku, Secretary Kinyagne; Ejon Barnabas, Secretary Grushie-Zongo; and Adam Rashid, Communication Officer Kinyagne.

According to the petitioners, Dan Saaka was deeply rooted in the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) scandal exposed by Joy News’ Manasseh Azure Awuni, which could cause disaffection for the party when allowed to stand on its ticket.

They said Saaka was the brain behind the Plus-One Investment Limited and Kukobila Farms Limited that entered into a contract with SADA to produce butter nut squash.

They alleged that he pocked about 2.7 million Ghana cedis paid to Plus-One Investment Limited which the state ordered that it should be paid back.

“The project died at birth because the money was allegedly misappropriated wantonly” by management of the company, the branch executives said in the two-page petition.

“As we write this petition, the project site at Yapei in the Northern Region has been abandoned and almost all the workers who worked at the initial stages of the project were not paid after working for almost six months. These workers include people from the East Gonja District and we had testimonies from many of them.”

The petitioners further stated: “We are well aware that Mr Dan Saaka used one Sadat Alhassan, a native of Salaga as a front for the project and appointed him as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company just before the payment of the money by SADA. Sadat Alhassan is a young man in his twenties with no experience in any field whatsoever having completed his university degree program just about a year before the money was paid to the Plus One Company...

“By this petition we are appealing to the party’s vetting committee to thoroughly investigate the matter and if necessary disqualify Mr Dan Saaka from contesting the Salaga South seat so as to prevent any future disgrace and embarrassment on the people of the constituency and the party at both the constituency and the national levels.

“Disqualifying him from contesting this election would also prevent him from using our party as a shield against future prosecution by the state.”

Myjoyonline.com sources in the Salaga South constituency confirmed that the vetting committee has formally written to Daa Saaka to respond to the allegation.

The primary is being contested by four persons including the incumbent Ibrahim Dey. The rest are Abdul Hakim Ahmed, Dan Saaka Ahmed and Abudulai Kasimu.