Obimpeh retained Ashanti Regional NDC chairman

The Ashanti Regional delegates of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) have retained their regional chairman, Mr Yaw Obimpeh, at the party’s congress last Tuesday.

The acting Regional Secretary, Mr Raymond Tandoh was elected secretary whereas the Regional Organiser, Alhaji Sannie Abdulai, was also retained.

Mr Obimpeh had 244 votes to beat Mr T. K Braimah, who secured 169 votes and Dominic Anomah, who managed only four votes.

Mr Tandoh got 349 votes to win his position, while his only contender, Michael Amedior, had 64.

For the position of regional organiser, Alhaji Sannie Abdulai had 214 votes to continue to organise the party in the region for the next four years. His four contenders, Rashid Alhassan, Obeng Adutwum, Samuel Owusu Kankam and Kwaku Anikora had  22, 42,   three and 33 respectively.

It will be recalled that the General Secretary of the party, Mr Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, had advised delegates of the party to not change the winning team that had hiked the votes of the party in the region. 

In 2008, the NDC had 438,234 votes and this was increased to 611,604 in 2012.

Asiedu Nketia 

Just before the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Paul Boateng, took over for the elections to begin, the general secretary asked delegates to the various elections within the party, especially at the regional level,  to not change those who had maximised the votes of the party.

According to him, party executive must be judged according to how they increased the fortunes of the party and that the delegates, when voting, must bear in mind the fact that "there is change for the better and change for the worse".

Few exceptions

However, there were few exceptions. The new entrants included Mr Kwame Zu Musah, who was elected as the new deputy general secretary and Mr Samid Akililu, as the new regional propaganda secretary.

Non-violence

The elections and related activities were generally peaceful, irrespective of their competitive nature.

Armed police and military personnel, some in full riot gear, ensured that only accredited and officially invited persons had access to the hall. Each person had to go through two well-manned check points.

Although the event was officially scheduled to commence at 9 a.m., it took the character of an usual Ghanaian political programme, which hardly starts on time.

Therefore it was at exactly 12.40 p.m, that the congress, which took place at the Osei Kweku Youth Centre at Ahinsan Estate in Kumasi, was called to order and started with a prayer. 

Due to the short space of time not all the 46 candidates were given time to address the delegates but the former National Organiser of the party, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who was in charge of both the vetting and elections, asked the candidates to move to  the delegates and interact with them for three minutes.

Posters

No available space, including the walls and even the streets, was spared a poster. The posters that were splashed on the walls and streets ranged from those of Ashanti regional contestants and national aspirants.

Some supporters also distributed leaflets of their candidates as a way of campaigning.