NPP Congress in Danger?

This is the logo of the ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP of Ghana

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesdat December 22, 2007
THE December 22 Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect a flagbearer for the 2008 general election seems to be in danger following attempts by some aggrieved party supporters from the Ablekuma South Constituency in the Greater Accra Region to stop their delegates from participating in the congress.

The group numbering more than 10 with one Kwesi Ofori as its leader have filed a suit at an Accra High Court against 10 others including William Akakpo, the Constituency Chairman and Nii Staley Adjiri-Blankson the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive restraining them as delegates to the congress.

The courts registry has fixed Friday, December 21, for the application to be moved by counsel for the plaintiff.

Apart from Mr. Akakpo and Nii Adjiri-Blankson, the suit also cites Alhaji Abu, Nana Kofi Yeboah and Ben Brown, all constituency and regional executives of the party as the other defendants.

Other defendants are Sylvia Opoku Manu, Dufie Cynthia, Emmanuel Addo, Cathrine Ahen and Felix Yeboah.

The plaintiffs want the court to declare null and void the selection of the defendants as delegates for Ablekuma South at the congress.

The plaintiffs want a further order directed at Mr Akakpo to convene an extra ordinary meeting to select delegates and a perpetual injunction to restrain all defendants from holding themselves as delegates for the congress from Ablekuma South.

In their affidavit in support endorsed by their counsel Mr Maurice K. Ampaw, on December 13, the plaintiffs claimed that under the party’s constitution the constituency executives were expected to organize an extraordinary conference to select delegates for the congress but this was not done.

They claimed Mr Akakpo together with a few constituency executives met on December 2, to select the delegates at a time when the NPP was organizing a rally at Kasoa to introduce the aspirants to the public.

They contended that what the few executives did was “a clear violation of the party’s constitution”.

As at the time of going to press there was no indication whether the defendants had filed any defence.


However exhibits attached to the suit indicated that the plaintiffs had petitioned the NPP General Secretary and copied to the Regional Chairperson, Regional Secretary, Constituency Chairman and all Constituency executives of the NPP.