The Super Delegates Conference of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), in Ashanti Region was at a point marked by chaos after the vote by the Regional Youth Organizer Raphael Sarfo Patrick was nullified by the Electoral Commission after publicly displayed his ballot after voting.
Officers of the Electoral Commission prevented the Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer from putting his ballot paper into the ballot box after casting his vote.
The decision was informed by concerns from some polling agents who claimed Mr Raphael after voting displayed the ballot paper to those around to ostensibly show who he voted for.
The situation brought chaos at the polling center when Raphael denied displaying the ballot and insisted his vote be counted.
Altercations between, EC officials, Raphael and some of the polling agents caught the attention of some youth around the polling center tried to enter the area to offer support for the youth organizer.
Police however prevented them from entering the polling center causing chaos at the entrance of the center.
OTEC News reporter, Jacob Agyenim Boateng who reported from the scene said It took frantic efforts from the police officers to restore calm at the center
Super Delegates Conference
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday August 26, 2023, went to the polls to elect five out of the 10 flagbearer aspirants for the November 4, 2023, national conference of the party, with Ashanti Region holding it’s elections at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , KNUST.
The five successful candidates will go for the final round of the presidential primary to elect a flag bearer for the 2024 general election.
The Special Electoral College system was introduced by the party after the 2007 primary in which 17 aspirants contested the flagbearership for the 2008 general election.
The party subsequently amended its constitution to accommodate not more than five persons for the flagbearership contest, with the new format being applied in the processes towards the 2016 general election.
According to Article 13(9) of the NPP constitution, “Where there are more than five contestants for nomination as the party’s presidential candidate, a Special Electoral College shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be shortlisted”.
Delegates
A total of 961 delegates, all senior members of the party, we’re part of the voting system to shortlist the five.
A total of 119 delegates comprising of all sitting MPs, constituency chairmen, Regional Executives, the regional minister, and Council of elders, founding fathers were those who voted in the Ashanti Region.
Candidates
The 10 candidates — Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; a former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen; the MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, who is also a former Minister of Railways Development and Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; an energy consultant, Kwadwo Poku; a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto; a former General Secretary of the NPP and Press Secretary to President J.A. Kufuor, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; a former MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Francis Addai-Nimoh; a former Commissioner of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku; a former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko; and the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia — appear on the ballot sheet in that order.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Jacob Agyenim Boateng
