Upper East NPP elects new chairman

Delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region last Saturday elected Lawyer Anthony Namoo as its new regional chairman. Mr Namoo polled 124 votes to beat his closest contender, Filson Awankua, who polled 88 votes.

Mr Mohammed Murtala, the incumbent who took over as regional chairman after the demise of Mr Adams Mahama in 2015, got 51 votes, while Alhaji Abdallah Otito Achuliwor had 30 votes. Joseph Agongo got five votes.

The regional delegates conference was held amid tight security.

In all, there were 52 aspirants who contested 10 executive positions of the party.

The female contestants were seven.

The first vice chairman position went to Moses Kwabena Atinga, who polled 124 votes.

The second vice chairman position went to Bugri Abubakar Ibrahim who got 132 votes, while Ayabire Cletus Innocent, the incumbent regional secretary, got 89 votes to retain his position.

The Women Organiser went to Madam Georgina Ayamga who had 162 votes, with the Youth Organiser position going to Solomon Latif Yenah.

Asamani Jerry was elected as regional organiser with 107 votes, while the assistant secretary position was won by Elvis Figo Atia Awonekai with 220 votes.

Joseph Awinpanga Akanfaba polled 135 votes to win the regional treasurer position, while Alhaji Mohammed Siitah Abubakari polled 119 votes to get the Nasara Coordinator position.

Polls

The polls were held amid tight security but there was near confusion during the voting when some of the delegates confronted an officer of the Electoral Commission for allegedly giving out three unstamped ballot papers to some delegates to vote.

The officer, however, denied it and the security managed to bring the situation under control for voting to continue.

Victory

Mr Namoo, the newly elected Chairman, told the delegates to bury their differences so that the party “can win more seats in the region.”

He promised to organise a unity get together for both the winning and losing aspirants to bring all of them on board to make the party more formidable in the region.

Minister

Earlier, the Minister of Information, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, entreated the rank and file to change the fortunes of the NPP in the Upper East Region in the 2020 general election.

According to him, they can do this by avoiding divisive tendencies and burying their differences after the regional delegates conference.

Dr Abdul-Hamid said this when he addressed the 303 delegates at the conference held at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) hall in Bolgatanga last Saturday, April 21, 2018.

He stated: “This time around, we should do whatever we can— all of us as individuals, especially me, whatever I can do— to support this region to make sure that we change the story in 2020, we have to change that story. Political party is about representation. If we are not properly represented in Parliament and at the highest levels of this party, every effort we would make in this region would be in vain.”

Remain in power

He entreated the party faithful in the region to support all efforts to make the party remain in power.

"Let our party remain in power! Today is not your turn. Believe me, you don’t know tomorrow. It could be your turn if the party continues to be in power. Those who have been with us since 1992 know this. The party was in power for eight years during Kufuor’s time. It was not our turn. Today, it is our turn. Tomorrow, it could be your turn if the party remains in power. So let’s fight together, hold it together and fight for the NPP in the Upper East Region.”

Dr Abdul-Hamid also cautioned the delegates against making certain pronouncements that were likely to affect the fortunes of the party because their candidates could not win the regional elections.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Rockson Bukari, urged all party members to eschew hate speech and internal acrimony.

The incumbent Regional Chairman, Mr Mohammed Murtala Ibrahim, highlighted the achievements the party had chalked up under his leadership since he took over in 2015 from the late regional chairman, Adams Mahama.