The internal contest for executive positions within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been thrown into fresh controversy following the party’s insistence that government appointees who fail to resign before seeking elective positions will be barred from participating in the upcoming elections.

The party’s reaffirmation of its long-standing resignation directive has intensified debate among potential aspirants, with some government officials believed to be interested in contesting executive positions now facing uncertainty over their eligibility.

The NDC has maintained that only persons who are no longer serving in government appointments will be allowed to file nominations, go through the vetting process and participate in the party’s internal elections.

According to the party, the rule will be applied strictly without exemptions, meaning any appointee who remains in office at the time of filing nominations will automatically lose the opportunity to contest.

The party’s Acting IT Director, Jibril Mahdi, stressed that the directive remains binding on all prospective candidates.

“Whoever is in office is not qualified to contest our elections,” he said.

Mr Mahdi explained that although reports have emerged suggesting that some government appointees have resigned to pursue party positions, the NDC headquarters has not received official confirmation from most of them.

“Officially, we have not received any notice from anybody that has resigned. Whatever we are hearing is based on the social media information because, at party headquarters, we are not the appointing authority,” he said.

He added that the party’s verification process would determine the eligibility of all aspirants, with candidates required to provide evidence of their resignation before they can proceed with their nominations.

“Whoever is still in office is automatically ineligible to contest as it stands,” Mr Mahdi stressed.

The position has sparked discussions within party circles, particularly among government officials who are believed to be considering bids for national and regional executive positions while still holding public appointments.

The NDC, however, has ruled out any special arrangements or waivers, insisting that the resignation requirement applies equally to all members seeking leadership positions.

The party confirmed that some officials have already stepped aside from their government roles to pursue their ambitions, including the Eastern Regional Chairman, the Eastern Regional Communications Officer and Leland Tay, who is seeking the position of National Chairman.

The controversy comes as the NDC advances its internal electoral programme following the completion of branch-level elections, with preparations underway for the next stages of the party’s executive polls.

With nominations, vetting and elections ahead, the resignation requirement is expected to remain a major issue as aspiring candidates balance their government responsibilities with their ambitions for leadership positions within the ruling party.