NPP For Special Congress; Grabs ¢6bn From 7 Aspirants

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Created on Thursday, 19 June 2014 00:00

NPP For Special Congress; Grabs ¢6bn From 7 Aspirants

19 June 2014

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership contest is likely going to give rise to a special national delegates’ congress, if all seven individuals who have picked nomination forms proceed to file their nominations.

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The party would have raked in some fortune from the seven aspiring presidential candidates with the expectation that each one of them would pay GH¢85,000 (¢850 million).

Yesterday, twice defeated presidential hopeful, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, increased the number of aspirants who had picked the forms to seven when he paid the GH¢10,000 fee for the forms.

Mr. Kyerematen is following six other aspirants, including his main contender and two-time standard bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The rest are former Information Minister Stephen Asamoah-Boateng; Member of Parliament (MP) for Asuogyaman Kofi Osei-Ameyaw; Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh; former Offinso North MP Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku and MP for Esikado-Ketan Joe Ghartey.

Constitution

Per provisions of the NPP constitution, if more than five persons file their nominations to contest for the flagbearership position, the leadership must convene a special delegates’ congress to prune down the number to five.

The amended constitution of the party has it that “if more than five candidates file and are vetted to contest, a special electoral college of some 847 party executives, including all 275 constituency chairmen and all NPP MPs, would have to vote to prune down the number to five.”

The fate of the elected five would then be decided by 145,000 delegates at a national delegates’ congress of the party. Out of the five aspirants, one of them would be elected to lead the party in the crucial 2016 general elections.

This is part of the reasons why all the 10 Regional Chairmen of the party are pushing for an early congress, preferably September 2014, to avoid breaching sections of the party’s constitution – which prescribes that the NPP elects its flagbearer two clear years before the next general elections when in opposition.

National Youth Organiser and member of the executive, Sammy Awuku, told Ultimate Radio in Kumasi that the party was waiting for the candidates to officially file their nominations before any decision for special congress could be reached.

“As at close of day Monday, six people had picked up forms. However, the fact that the person has picked up forms does not mean the person will automatically contest. We are waiting to see if they all return their forms or more people start picking,” he said.

Sammy Awuku added, “As we speak now, no one has returned his forms and on paper six persons now have picked forms.

“However if at the end of the period, more than five people return their nominations, the party will have no other choice than to invoke its special congress clause,” he explained. However, the number of people who have picked nomination forms are now seven and it is not likely any aspirant will come again – making the special delegates’ conference more compelling.

Each of the seven aspirants would have to cough up an additional GH¢75,000 as filing fee when they finally decide to file their nominations by close of day on July 7, 2014.

That would make GH¢525,000 – the total amount of money generated from the filing process if all seven proceed to file.

All put together with the nomination fees, the NPP would have made a fortune of GH¢595,000 – the equivalent of 5.95 billion old cedis (almost ¢6 billion).

New Twist

Meanwhile, the meeting of the National Council of the NPP, the highest decision-making body after congress scheduled for today to fix a date for the national delegates’ congress to elect the flagbearer, has been called off.

A text message sent to members of the Council from the office of the General Secretary said, “Please be informed that the meetings of the National Council & the National Executive Committee scheduled for Thursday, 19 June, 2014, have been rescheduled. A new date and time will be communicated to you.”

It is therefore not certain when the National Council would meet to set a definite date for the congress.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Source: Daily Guide