NDC decides today

Daily Graphic Politics Dec - 20 - 2014 , 02:57

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) will today hold its crucial national delegates’ congress at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi to elect 23 national officers to steer affairs of the party for the next four years.

The climax of the congress will be the election for positions including National Chairman, Vice-National Chairman, General Secretary and National Organiser.

Interestingly, some key national executive members of the party who are seeking re-election are in the race of their lives as their jobs are on the line.

Having won and retained the national chairmanship position in two consecutive national executive elections and also led the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to two consecutive election victories, Dr Kwabena Adjei, aka “Wayoo Wayo’’ “Cat Hunter’’ and ‘Nkonya Terminator,’’ may find a ‘stubborn cat’ in Kofi Portuphy, the NADMO boss, and currently a National Vice-Chairman.

Also in contention for the same position are Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, who is the first General Secretary of the party and also a National Vice-Chairman, and Mr Daniel Abodakpi, who is well versed in grassroots organisation.

Another hotspot is the National Organiser contest in which tried and tested Yaw Boateng Gyan is in a fierce contest with Mr Kofi Adams, the spokesperson of former President J.J. Rawlings.

For the General Secretary slot, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, aka “General Mosquito,” the incumbent, is expected to rout bold and daring Abdullah Ishaq Farrakhan, the only one who has staked claim to that position.

The outcome of today’s congress, which has about 3,600 delegates deciding the fate of 70 aspirants jostling for 23 positions of the party, is expected to be mixed.

Today’s contestants, exclude 28 from the youth and women’s wing elections, a segment of which still remains inconclusive.

It would be recalled that at its National Delegates’ Congress in Tamale in the Northern Region in April this year, the dominant opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), voted out all its incumbent executives except the National Women’s Organiser.

Fierce contest

It is in this vein that political watchers are keenly observing the outcome of this extremely significant congress.

Organising the twice-postponed NDC congress has not been easy, in view of the high stakes and its charged nature.

Clear cases of acrimony, name-calling, alleged vote-buying and manipulation have characterised the conduct of the campaigns.

So heated is the race for the executive positions that the President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has been compelled to come out publicly to state that he has no preferred candidate.

Speculations that the President has thrown his weight behind some of the candidates are threatening to create cracks in the party, as some aspirants are obviously not enthused about that development.

“Ignore any claim by any of the candidates that he/she is the President’s choice,” Mr Mahama declared in a statement to the delegates last week.

Even with this categorical statement from the President, some still think that he has his preferred team.

Despite the challenges, many party activists have expressed high optimism for the successful organisation of the congress but there are other schools of thought who have opined that the Kumasi contest will be fiercer and more charged than any that the party has ever witnessed in recent times.

Preparations

Meanwhile, there was an intense competition yesterday at the stadium in Kumasi for space to post the posters of various persons vying for positions .

The Garden City is inundated with posters as they are found on the walls of houses, pavements, islands, medians and isles of roads, telephone and electricity poles as well as rooftops.

Aesthetically designed with very insightful and hilarious messages, some of the posters have found their way on even new posters, defacing them.

If the numerous statues in Kumasi could utter a word, they would have complained bitterly about how they were being desecrated with posters.

Surprisingly, some of the posters have been outgrown by weeds and the essence of communicating to delegates is lost.

The major areas that are flooded with the advertisements are the Ejisu Roundabout, Ayigya Roundabout, Bekwai Roundabout and few at the Santasi Roundabout.

Messages

While others have just only their names and the positions they are competing for on their posters without any message, persuasive or inciting, other candidates have very humorous messages.

“Kpa Kpa Kpa… Change Gear Now, from Defensive to offensive Communication,” this is the message of Mr Kobby Fiagbe, who is vying to become the National Propaganda Secretary.

Incumbent National Chairman of the party, Dr Kwabena Adjei’s “Wayo Wayo” slogan is splashed on the lower portion of his posters.

If the number, size and message of posters are to be used as a yardstick to determine the winners of today’s contest, some candidates would be found wanting, while others would have taken a commanding lead.

The Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the NDC has secured over two thousand beds in different hotels for delegates and concluded arrangements with the security agencies to ensure a successful congress.

Other positions

The position of Deputy General Secretary will also be keenly contested by the incumbent, Mr George Lawson; Mr Kwadjo Adu Asare, the immediate past MP for Adentan and presidential staffer and Mr Koku Anyidoho, the Communications Director at the Presidency in the era of the late President J.E.A. Mills.

Other contestants are Wisdom Kwame Amaglo, J.R.D. Cobbina and Evans Armoo.

Another position that will attract the attention of political observers is the heavily over-subscribed vice chairmanship, where 15 aspirants are locking horns for six positions as national vice chairpersons of the party, and the National Executive Committee membership, where five persons will be elected from a list of 13 contestants.

Aspirants for the vice chairmanship are Mr Harry Zakour, a former Korley Klottey Constituency Chairman; Ms Anita De-Sosoo, the former National Women’s Organiser; Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General; Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, a former Minister of Local Government; Alhaji Said Sinare, Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt; Mr Lee Ocran, a former Minister of Education; Mr Danny Anang, a former Greater Accra Regional Chairman; Mr Andrew Nii Okaikoi and Alhaji Saani Mohammed, both NDC stalwarts.

The rest are party heavyweights Mr Max Cobbina, Mr Asamoah Atuahene, Nana Kojo Toku, Mr Mohammed Alhassan, Alhaji Mohammed Abass, Mr Anthony Gyampo and Dr Yahuza Gomda.

For membership of the National Executive Committee, the 13 aspirants are Alhaji Sumaila Mahama, Mr Suka Mohammed, Baba Lamin Abu Sadat, Mrs Victoria Kumah Mintah and Wisdom Keli Yamenu.

The rest are Fato Kwame Nicholas, Samuel Adu Yeboah, William Adu Brown, Ekow Mends, Daniel Amartey, Dr Ebenezer Kofi Hayford, Nyaku Efenam Komla and Amadu Iddrisu Eliyasu.

Four aspirants were vetted for the position of Propaganda Secretary. They are Mr Solomon Yaw Nkansah, Mr Godson Kobla Agbeli Fiagbe and Nii Dodoo Dodoo.

The positions for the two Deputy Propaganda Secretaries are being contested by 12 aspirants. They are Alhaji Mohammed Nasru Seidu, David Dotse Kwadah, Prince Tanko Ibrahim, Asiedu Keteke, Fred Agbenyo, Kwaku Boahen and Christine Afi Fiako.

The rest are Adongo Atule Jacob, Alfred Kojo Triddles, Aduku Amos Awinzor, Hamza Paramza and Alhaji Nuhu Khalid Baba.