NPP to meet over security concerns in 5 constituencies

The Elections Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will be meeting the security agencies in the Northern Region to assess the current security situation in some constituencies in the region which were suspended from the nationwide constituency primaries, the Northern Regional Communications Director, Mr Issahaque A. Latif, has revealed.

According to him, the suspension of elections in those constituencies was due to security advice, and it was only the outcome of the meeting which would guide the party to organise elections in those constituencies to ensure incident-free primaries.

Mr Latif, who disclosed this in an interview in Tamale on Monday, said the elections in the region had been peaceful despite earlier fears of possible standoffs in some of the constituencies.

He, however, stated that a new date would be fixed for those constituencies where the elections could not take place due to the security situation in the area, after the meeting with the security agencies.

Elections in 26 out of 31 constituencies

The constituencies where elections could not take place are Yunyoo, Bimbila, Daboya/Manakarigu, Nalerigu/Gamabaga and Karaga.

There was no election in Tatale due to a referendum where about 182 delegates supported the current executive to continue their mandate while 82 delegates opposed it.

The constituencies where elections took place on Saturday and Sunday respectively are Tamale Central, Tamale North, Sagnarigu, Kumbungu, Tolon, Gushegu, Yendi, Mion, Nanton, Walewale, Saboba, Kpandai, Damongo, Bunkpurugu, Savelugu, Yagba-Kubori, Yapei-Kusawgu and Bole-Bamboi.

The rest are Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Chereponi, Tamale South, Wulensi, Salaga South, Salaga North and Zabzugu constituencies.

Cape Coast South

In another development, a candidate for the chairmanship position of the NPP for the Cape Coast South Constituency, Mr Alexander Mensa Hagan, has called on his supporters and sympathisers to remain resolute as the courts resolve a case of ineligibility brought against him.

In a statement issued in Cape Coast last Sunday, Mr Hagan said: “I urge all my supporters and sympathisers not to be disheartened by the temporary setback. We will contest the matter in court and come out victorious. We will then go into the election and win a for the people of Cape Coast South.”

“It is important that all my supporters remain confident, resolute and upbeat as we await the outcome of the legal challenge. I thank everyone for the overwhelming support since I decided to contest the Cape Coast South Constituency Chairmanship position,” Mr Hagan said.

The Cape Coast High Court placed an injunction on the party’s constituency election last Friday following a suit filed by some members of the constituency challenging the eligibility of Mr Hagan to contest the party position.

Hagan, a renowned geologist, philanthropist and public-spirited person, says he decided to contest the position because he wanted to bring his years of experience and expertise to bear on the management of the party.

The plaintiff had challenged Mr Hagan’s eligibility to contest the Cape South chair because they claimed he was rather a registered voter in the Cape Coast North Constituency and that per the rules of the party, he did not qualify to contest in the Cape Coast South Constituency.

Yilo Krobo

Meanwhile, from Yilo Krobo Constituency, Ezekiel E. Sottie, reports that the primaries of the NPP successfully ended with a call on the newly elected executives to serve the party in humility.

They have also been asked to cooperate with the members of the party and not to lord over them.

The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Simon Kweku Tetteh, who was the Eastern Regional representative for the election at Yilo Krobo, gave the advice at the end of the constituency elections at Somanya last Saturday.

Mr Tetteh thanked all the delegates for comporting themselves throughout the election period which recorded no incidents as it used to happen in some constituencies in the country.

“Let me say that you have behaved maturely well as loyal NPP members. You have really showed that you love the party and you will do all that you can to protect the image of the party. I really appreciate your comportment from the beginning to the end of the exercise. Maintain this standard as loyal members of the NPP fraternity,” Mr Tetteh added.

New executives

The new party chairman is Dr Gabriel Odeh Apotey who garnered 403 votes out of 735 delegates who cast the vote. The first vice chairman position went to Mr Ebenezer Tetteh Asodji, while that of the second vice chairman went to Mr Kingsley Asare Apori. The party secretary position was won by Mr Richmond Tetteh while the assistant secretary position went to Mr Samuel Achirah. The women organiser position which was keenly contested was won by Ms Adelaide Asantewaa Asante, who was the former assistant women organiser by beating Ms Olivia Kpodji, the former women organiser with a slight margin. Mr George Teye is now the new youth organiser, with Mr Eric Tetteh being the organiser.

Mr Tetteh, the MCE, said election of constituency executives usually came with its attendant problems, especially during campaign period as everyone was poised to win his or her position vied for, but as soon as the exercise was over, each and every contestant should accept the verdict and support the winners to move the party activities forward, and not to be peeved about the results.

Tema Central

From Tema, Benjamin Xornam Glover, also reports that delegates in the Tema Central Constituency of the NPP retained Mr Charles Boateng as the Chairman at a constituency election held at the TDC Park last Saturday.

Mr Boateng, who contested the election unopposed, said his vision was to mobilise more support for the party in the constituency to enable it to increase its margin of votes for the party in the presidential election and strengthen its grip on the parliamentary seat.

Mr Boateng, who is a businessman, stated: "Going into the 2016 election, the NDC had about 14,000 votes and we worked hard to reduced it to 11,000. It is our plan to further reduce their votes in this constituency to about 9,000 and this is what my team and I will do to ensure a massive win for our great party."

Commendation

The MP for the area, Mr KB Brako, commended the candidates and delegates for the peaceful nature of the polls and advised members to forge ahead in unity and work towards the success of the party.

"The expectations of the electorate in this constituency are very high and it is only by working hard as a team that we can meet or even exceed those expectations. My desire is to continue to be popular among the people for them to love me and with this team in place, I am confident we can achieve our aim," he noted.

Kpone/ Katamanso

In the Kpone-Katamanso constituency, the over 600 delegates retained the incumbent Chairman, Nana Sipim, and the Secretary, Mr Felix Tetteh, for another term of office.

Other executives elected are Mr William Kissi as First Vice Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed as Second Vice Chairman, Mr Mutawakilu Bashiru as Organiser, Mr Abdulai Abdallah as Assistant Secretary, Madam Agnes Owiredu as Women's Organiser, Mr Kwesi Fynn as Youth Organiser, Mr Joseph Gbeze as Treasurer, and Mr Seidu Adam as NASARA Coordinator.