NPP: Concerned Kwadaso delegates reject voter album

The Concerned Delegates of the Kwadaso constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have threatened to prevent next Wednesday's rescheduled constituency primary from taking place, if the agreed 2013 album is not used.

The aggrieved delegates, whose names are not in the new album, allegedly compiled by the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Samiu Kwadwo Nuamah, said they were willing to sacrifice their lives if the album agreed by all the aspirants was not used.

At a press conference at Kwadaso in Kumasi yesterday Friday, the leader of the group, Mr Frank Adjei Badu, said they would not accept a new album compiled by the MP without recourse to the party executives.

Controversy

The new album includes some 172 new delegates who, according to the aggrieved delegates, were new to the constituency.

After a failed attempt by the NPP General Secretary, Mr John Boadu, to resolve the voter album impasse, the Kwadaso primary was rescheduled to Wednesday, June 24, under a number of guidelines issued by Mr Boadu.

Among the guidelines was that the newly created 19 polling stations shall not be filled with delegates.

He, however, added that the contested 172 station executives whose names were omitted were to be added.

But the delegates said by adding the 172 new delegates, it will give undue advantage to the incumbent.

Mobilisation

Subsequently, the aggrieved delegates have begun galvanising support to mass up at all the polling stations to prevent the elections from taking place.

"It is either we use the old voter register or there will be no election," Mr Badu threatened.

He questioned: "It is completely absurd for the guidelines issued by the General Secretary to be implemented. It will interest you to know that the official album provided for all aspirants for campaign purposes was that of 2013, so why this sudden new album?".

The leader alleged that "it is obvious that the incumbent MP has orchestrated a plan to steal the verdict of Kwadaso people in terms of who should be their next MP.

“To us therefore, it's a complete absurdity for the party to seek a clean national voter register while it endorses a corrupted delegates album at Kwadaso for it's parliamentary primaries."

He added: "We are serving notice that as true blue elephants who subscribe strongly to the firm democratic principles of free and fair elections, we shall not under any circumstance accept a corrupted delegates album."

Aspirants

The other aspirants contesting the primary are  Dr Kingsley Nyarko, Chairman of the National Accreditation Board, and Mr Vincent Frimpong Manu, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Middle Belt Development Authority.