Who wins NPP Chairmanship contest? - 3 emerge front runners
Three stalwarts of the New Patriotic Party (NPP ) - Stephen Ayesu Ntim, George Kwabena Abankwah-Yeboah and Stephen Asamoah Boateng - have emerged as the front runners in the race for the party’s National Chairman.
The NPP will hold its National Delegates Conference to elect national leaders from Friday, July 15 to Sunday July 17, 2022.
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Random interviews with some delegates and party bigwigs put the three as leading contenders for the National Chairman position.
Other contenders
However, the other four contestants - Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Sammy Crabbe and Gifty Asantewa Ayeh, popularly known as Daavi Ama - are not leaving anything to chance and could spring a surprise in view of the complexity of such elections.
“Fear delegates, anything can happen on the D-day, so do not be surprised when another candidate outside the top three emerges as the winner,” a party bigwig who wanted to remain anonymous told the Daily Graphic.
Six thousand, seven hundred and thirty delegates are spoilt for choice in the national chairmanship race.
Other positions
Other executive positions to be hotly contested in the three-day conference are the First and Second Vice Chairpersons, General Secretary, Treasurer, National Organiser, Women Organiser, Youth Organiser and Nasara Co-ordinator.
Delegates conference
Forty-six aspirants have been cleared and they have been criss-crossing the country to share their vision for the party with delegates. They have presented themselves as the best to “break the 8”.
The aspiring national executive members have promised to ensure that the governing NPP extends its hold on power beyond the two terms of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
It is now time for those contesting the various national offices to know their fate and how well their messages resonated with delegates.
The National Delegates Conference is the fourth leg in the series of internal elections of the NPP.
It started with elections for polling stations executives, constituency executives and regional officers and is expected to end with the election of the flag bearer to lead the party into the 2024 general election.
Top positions
Without doubt, the elections for the two top positions of National Chairman and General Secretary are expected to be the keenest.
In the race are old guards, perennial contenders and some fresh faces.
Candidates
It is a make or break for unrelenting Mr Ntim, a former First Vice-Chairman of the NPP, who is trying his shot at the National Chairmanship for the fifth successive time.
To convince delegates, he has adopted the slogan “time aso”, a Twi expression meaning “it is time.”
Another contestant seen as a front runner is Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, the incumbent National Treasurer of the party, who is hoping his tenure as National Treasurer will appeal to the delegates to entrust him with the National Chairman position.
For Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi, a former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and first Minister of Railways Development; Mr Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister of Information and immediate past Director-General of the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA), and Mr Osei-Adjei, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, they would be hoping to transfer their experiences in government to transform and build the party when any of them is given the nod as National Chairman.
The other contestant, Mr Crabbe, is a former second National Chairman of the NPP and a former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party.
Mr Crabbe has been at the forefront of NPP’s organisational and administrative structure from the grass roots to the national level.
After a hiatus from the party for some time due to suspension over alleged disciplinary issues, Mr Crabbe is back in full force and is hoping the delegates will vote for him due to his immense experience in holding various leadership positions in the party.
Madam Ayeh will also be counting on her grass-roots and national operations as well, being the only female candidate to woo delegates to vote for her.
General Secretary
Aside from the national chairman position, which is being hotly contested, the General Secretary position, with six party stalwarts slugging it out, will equally be fiercely fought.
The incumbent – John Boadu-- is seeking re-election, while five other party stalwarts are seeking to dethrone him.
Mr Boadu, who had served the party in various positions including National Youth Organiser, National Organiser and acting General Secretary, is hoping the delegates will reward him due to his continuous service to the party.
His message to the delegates has been “don’t change a winning team”.
The other aspirants- Frederick Opare-Ansah, Justin Kodua Frimpong, Musah Iddrisu Superior, Charles O. Bissue and Ramseyer Agyemang-Prempeh - are hoping to thwart the second term agenda of Mr Boadu.
Consequently, they have presented themselves as the candidates to take the party to the next level and “break the eight”.
Another position that has attracted wide interest is the vice-chairmanship where 11 aspirants are slugging it out.
They are Edmond Oppong Peprah, Alhaji Masawudu Osma, McJewells J. Annan, Rita Asobayire, Michael Omari Wadie, Kwaku Nkansah, and Kinston Akomeng Kissi.
The rest are Danquah Smith, Ismeal Yahuza, Nuworsu Ken-Wuud, and Alfred T. Boye.
Other positions
Those contesting the national treasurer position are E. Mary Posch-Oduro, Collins Nuntwiri Nuamah, Dr Charles Dwamena and Dr I. I. Yussif Tedem.
Seven persons, namely Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, Eric Amoako Twum, Bright Essilfie Kumi, Dr Kwame Afriyie, Henry Nana Boakye, Seth Adu-Adjei and Nana Owusu Fordjour will slug it out for the position of national organiser.
The incumbent women’s organiser, Kate Gyamfua, will battle it out with Hajia Sawudatu Saeed, Ellen Ama Daaku and Akosua Serwaa Bonsu while Prince Kamal Gumah, Salam Mustapha, Abanga Yakubu Fusani, Michael Osei Boateng, and Karikari Klinsman Mensah will be vying for the position of national youth organiser.
For the position of national nasara co-ordinator, incumbent Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa will face off with six others, namely Alhaji Muazu Issaka Kunata, Awal Mohammed, Ismeal Haruna, Sulemana Alhassan Atakpo, Abdul-Rahman Diallo and Haruna Maiza.
Writer’s email: [email protected]