The National Democratic Congress has directed all members harbouring parliamentary ambitions to immediately suspend activities that could be interpreted as campaigning ahead of the formal opening of nominations for parliamentary contests.
The directive, issued by the party’s Functional Executive Committee on Tuesday, September 14, comes amid growing concern within the governing party over the activities of prospective parliamentary aspirants across constituencies.
The party has cautioned that meetings, constituency tours, donations, public engagements and other appearances organised with the intention, or reasonably perceived intention, of promoting an individual’s parliamentary candidature must cease until the appropriate campaign period is officially announced.
The NDC said allowing such activities to continue prematurely could undermine internal discipline, weaken party cohesion and create an uneven playing field among members seeking to contest parliamentary positions.
It has therefore instructed all affected members to immediately discontinue such engagements and await the formal commencement of the parliamentary nomination process.
The warning carries the prospect of serious consequences for members who disregard the directive.
According to the Functional Executive Committee, any prospective aspirant who continues to engage in activities that breach the party’s instructions will be subjected to disciplinary proceedings and could face severe sanctions under the NDC Constitution, rules and regulations.
The party has also placed responsibility on its organisational structures to ensure that the directive is enforced across the country.
Regional executives, constituency executives, branch officials and other relevant party officers have been instructed to monitor activities within their respective jurisdictions and report suspected violations to the appropriate authorities.
The latest directive comes as the NDC continues preparations for its internal electoral processes ahead of the 2028 general elections.
The party has already begun implementing its timetable for the 2026 constituency, regional and national executive elections. Nominations for constituency executive positions opened on September 15, with constituency elections scheduled for October 24 and 25.
Although the party has opened a campaign window for members contesting its internal executive positions, it has made a deliberate distinction between those contests and parliamentary ambitions.
The NDC has previously clarified that the campaign window for its constituency, regional and national executive elections does not extend to sitting Members of Parliament or other members pursuing, considering or expressing an intention to contest parliamentary elections.
The latest directive consequently seeks to prevent parliamentary contests from becoming intertwined with the ongoing internal reorganisation exercise.
Party leadership has maintained that members must follow the established timetable and respect the processes governing the selection of candidates.
The NDC said its objective is to ensure that the eventual parliamentary selection process is conducted in a manner that is transparent, orderly and credible, while protecting the unity and stability of the party.
“The NDC remains committed to a transparent, orderly and credible process for selecting its Parliamentary Candidates,” the Functional Executive Committee stated.
The party added that it would communicate the official opening of parliamentary nominations and the applicable guidelines at the appropriate time.
Until then, prospective parliamentary candidates are expected to refrain from activities that could give them an advantage over other potential contenders or create the impression that the parliamentary contest has already begun.
The directive places particular emphasis on activities such as constituency tours and donations, which can often serve both legitimate community purposes and political campaign objectives.
By requiring such engagements to be suspended where they carry campaign undertones, the party leadership appears intent on drawing a clear boundary between ordinary party or community activities and premature attempts to mobilise support for parliamentary nominations.
The NDC has consequently urged all members to exercise restraint, observe the party’s internal regulations and place the broader interests of the organisation above individual political ambitions.
The party’s leadership has warned that adherence to the directive will be essential to maintaining discipline as the NDC moves through a series of internal elections and prepares for the next parliamentary contests.
The message from the Functional Executive Committee is therefore unequivocal: parliamentary ambitions may be pursued, but prospective candidates must wait for the party’s authorised process before openly mobilising support for their bids.
