Hearts NCC elections delayed not my fault — Herman Hesse

THE Chairman of the National Chapters Committee (NCC) of Accra Hearts of Oak, Elvis Herman Hesse, has addressed growing concerns about the delay in organising elections for new NCC executives, explaining that it is not his role to set the date for elections.

Speaking to the Graphic Sports, Hesse clarified that his responsibility was to constitute an electoral committee, which would oversee the election process and determine the timetable for voting.

Responding to criticism about the one-year delay following the expiration of their four-year mandate, Hesse stated, "There is always a process to follow, and it is convention that once your tenure expires, an elections committee must be formed. It’s not within my powers to direct when elections should take place."

He explained that the executives' tenure officially ended last year, but Congress extended their mandate by one year. The extension was granted to make up for the period lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, when football activities were halted or played behind closed doors.

“Congress deliberated on these issues and concluded that our mandate should be extended by a year since we lost time due to COVID-19 disruptions," Hesse explained.

"However, the extension ended in April 2024, but on that day, Hearts of Oak was fighting to avoid relegation against Bechem United, so we had to focus on supporting the team," he said.

Following the relegation battle, Hesse said he immediately called a stakeholders’ meeting to form an Elections Committee. He emphasised that once the committee was constituted, the executives were not permitted to interfere with its operations or rush the election process.

“Although the committee has only been working for four months, it is worth noting that in the past, some committees took up to a year to organise elections. While I don’t support unnecessary delays, I expect this committee to deliver within six months,” he noted.

Amid concerns from supporters over the prolonged leadership transition, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a board member of Hearts of Oak, has called on the Elections Committee to expedite the process.

He urged the committee to act swiftly to calm tensions within the supporters' group and bring stability.