NPP presidential aspirants ballot for positions
The usual drama and fanfare which characterise balloting of positions for elections were completely absent when the seven presidential hopefuls of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) balloted for positions at a brief ceremony at the party headquarters in Accra Tuesday to contest the party’s presidential primary.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2012 presidential candidate of the party, and Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister personally did the balloting themselves, while the other five sent representatives to ballot on their behalf.
The five are Mr Alan Kyerematen, a former Minister; Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw, Member of Parliament for Assuogyaman; Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, a former Minister; Mr Joe Ghartey, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Essikado -Ketan and Mr Francis Addai Nimoh, MP for Mampong.
Dr Apraku picked the first position, whilst Mr Asamoah Boateng, Mr Francis Addai Nimoh and Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw captured the second, third and fourth positions respectively. Mr Kyerematen, Nana Akufo-Addo and Mr Ghartey picked the fifth, sixth and seventh positions on the ballot paper respectively.
Nana Akufo-Addo, who was spotting a white shirt, was immediately whisked away in his Benz car after the positions were announced by the General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, while Mr Asamoah Boateng spent sometime with the press answering questions.
Mr Asamoah Boateng, who had all along played up the number seven which he believed signified good luck for him since his three names are seven-lettered words, this time, explained that “his number two position on the ballot paper also meant victory for him.”
He further said the second position on the ballot paper came next in terms of visibility to the delegates who would be voting to decide the fate of the aspirants.
Last week, the National Vetting Committee of the party recommended that all the seven presidential aspirants were duly qualified to contest the election.
Now that the balloting has taken place, the fate of the seven aspirants will depend on the outcome of the Special Delegates Congress scheduled for August 31, 2014. As per the party constitution of the party, the number has to be pruned down to five.
The top five aspirants would then finally contest the position of flag bearer of the party at the National Delegates Congress scheduled for October 18, 2014.
