Flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party in the 2008 and 2012 elections, Nana Addo-Danquah Akuffo Addo, on Sunday polled 37 votes out of a total of 38 at the party’s special electoral college to beat his fellow flag bearer aspirants with a 97.4% advantage here in Upper East Region.
The NPP’s super delegates’ conference was meant to reduce the number of aspirants vying to contest for the flag bearer position of the party from 7 to 5. The election was held in all ten regions of the country.
In the Upper East Region, the election which took place at the catering rest house was generally peaceful except for a delay in arrival of the delegates at the election venue which led to a little debate between opponents of Nana Addo and his supporters. Some of Nana Addo’s opponents claimed that the delegates were being held by some leaders of the party who were in support of Nana and were perhaps, trying to influence the delegates, leading to their late arrival at the election venue. But Nana’s supporters disagreed and this led to a debate. However, while this debate was ongoing, the delegates arrived and the election went on smoothly thereafter.
In all 39 delegates were expected vote. They included 15 constituency chairmen, 16 regional executives, 2 founding fathers, the 2 NPP Members of Parliament in the region, 3 representatives from the national council and John Boadu, a representative from the National council supervising the election here in upper east region. However, only 38 delegates voted as one of them was deceased at the time of the election. In the end, Nana Akuffo Addo polled 37 of the votes, the remaining single vote went Francis Addai Nimo while the rest of the aspirants: Kofi Konadu Apraku, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, Alan John Kwadwo Kyeremanteng and Joe Ghartey had zero votes.
Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP, Adams Mahama speaking to journalists after election, cleared the air on exactly what led to the delay in arrival of delegates at the election venue. He said he was meeting the executives to get a briefing on how the election will go as he had been in the region till the day before the election.
The representative from the national council of the NPP, John Boadu who was supervising the election here in the upper east, was satisfied with organization.
By: Albert Sore | A1radioonline.com | Ghana
