By William
Yaw Owusu
Saturday
May 12, 2018
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has banked a whopping GH¢220,000
from the sale of nomination forms towards the impending national delegates’
congress that will be used to select the party’s national executives for the
next four years.
About nine positions are up for grabs and at the
close of nominations on Thursday, 42 stalwarts had picked forms to contest for the
various positions, including Chairman, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vice Chairpersons,
Organizer, Secretary, Women’s Organizer, Youth Organizer, Treasurer and Nasara
Coordinator.
Late last month, the party released a notice that
those vying for the National Chairmanship position would pay a non-refundable
application fee of GH¢10,000, Vice Chairperson position would attract GH¢8,000,
General Secretary would pay GH¢6,000, National Organiser and National Treasurer
would pay GH¢5,000 each, while National Youth Organizer, National Women’s
Organizer and Nasara Coordinator would have to pay GH¢3,000 each.
Five bigwigs picked forms to contest for National
Chairmanship position and they coughed out a total of GH¢50,000, while eight
others, who will be slugging it out for the positions of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vice
Chairpersons, paid a total of GH¢64,000.
Two personalities who are contesting for the
position of General Secretary, paid GH¢12,000, while three people, who are in
the race to become National Organizer, contributed a total of GH¢15,000.
Six stalwarts who are campaigning for the position
of treasurer paid a total of GH¢30,000.
The seventh person, Dr Charles Dwamena, popularly
called Dr China, pulled out at the eleventh hour for unknown reasons.
Nine hopefuls for the Nasara Coordinator slot paid a
total of GH¢27,000, while a total of GH¢21,000 was paid by seven aspirants, who
are all vying for the National Youth Organizer position.
The two strong women, who want to lead the NPP women’s
wing, paid a total of GH¢6,000.
Submission of nomination forms by aspirants is
slated for Tuesday, May 15th, after which a vetting process will be
set in motion.
In the event of disqualification, none of the
disqualified aspirant(s) will get their money back.
Apart from Acting National Chairman Freddy W. Blay,
who is aspiring to be the substantive Chairman, four other bigwigs -Alhaji
Abubakar Abdul-Rahman, aka Alhaji Short, immediate past Upper West Regional
Chairman of the party; Stephen Ayesu Ntim, former National Vice Chairman and
longstanding contestant for the Chairman position; Dr Amoako Baah, lecturer and
David Amankwah Boadu - are all eying the post.
Eight people namely, incumbent Fredrick Fredua Antoh
aka FF Antoh, Ken-Wud Noworsu, Agnes Chigabatia, Rita Talata Asobayire – a
former National Women’s Organiser - George Isaac Amoo, Vida Agyekum Acheampong
and Michael Omari Wadie, are slugging it out for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vice
Chairpersons.
John Boadu, Acting General Secretary and incumbent
National Organizer, is not going unopposed as earlier indicated and will battle
Richard Ahiagbah for the position of General Secretary.
For the position of National Treasurer, incumbent
Kwabena Abankwah Yeboah will battle with Abraham Obeng Amoakohene, Nuhu Bayorbo
Mahama, Mary Posch Oduro and Saida Ruka Ahmed.
The National Women’s Organiser slot left behind by
Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Otiko Afisa Djaba will be a
straight fight between Kate Gyamfua and Joyce Konokie Zemparie.
Incumbent National Youth Organiser, Sammi Awuku, aka
‘Boys Abre,’ has two other contenders Nana Bediako and Sadik Nabichienga for
the position of National Organizer.
The National Youth Organizer, Dominic Kwesi Eduah
aka Field Marshall; a deputy Youth Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye aka Nana B;
Kamal-Deen Abdulai, who is the incumbent Nasara Coordinator; Augustine Owusu
Appiah; Bright Essilfie Kumi, as well as Abdul Ganiyu Alhassan and Emmanuel
Nana Bediako Dannsa Appiah, are all campaigning to lead the NPP youth front.
Abubakari Sulemana aka Lakulaku, former Nasara
Coordinator; Alhaji Rashid Adam; Alhaji Ahmed Zaruk Nuhu; Alhaji Shumbu Musah
Shariff; Abdul Aziz Harunafuta of Accra Hearts of Oak FC fame; Baba Gado
Ibrahim; Alhaji Salihu Yahaya Bo; Sulemana Alhassan Atakpo and Ali Suraj will lock
horns for the National Nasara Coordinator position.
The NPP had earlier fixed June 17, 2018 as the date
for the congress to be held in Koforidua, the Eastern Region capital, but
because it will coincide with the celebration of the Muslim festival of Id-il-
Fitri, the exercise is possibly going to be
rescheduled for July 7, 2018.
A five-member National Elections Committee
comprising Rev (Prof) Samuel
Asante-Antwi (chairman), Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Madam Agnes Okudzeto (former
national third vice chairperson), Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP for Ablekuma West)
and Evans Nimako (acting director of research and elections), has been put in
place to oversee the conduct of the NPP national elections.
The party has said that any applicant who is
dissatisfied with the vetting processes may appeal to the National Council of
Elders within three days for immediate redress and the decision of the Council
shall be final.
Mr John Boadu, announcing the congress timetable,
said, “Any applicant who would refuse to use all the internal party mechanisms
to address any disputes as prescribed by Article 4(6) of the party’s
constitution and rather goes to court to seek redress would automatically be
barred from taking part in the impending elections.”
The nomination process, which lasted for over a
week, has been described as peaceful and well coordinated.
Both aspirants and their supporters expressed
satisfaction with the professional handling of the entire procedure and
commended the election committee of the party for a good job done.
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