NPP Drops Five

Hajia Fati Amadu, Fred Amankwah Sarfo and Madam Philomena Serwaa Akoto Sam

It is now official that five persons have been disqualified from contesting for positions in the upcoming election of national executive officers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

They include Madam Philomena Serwaa Akoto Sam, Fred Amankwah Sarfo and the ubiquitous Hajia Fati Amadu aka ‘Aliga’, who were all running for the Vice Chairmanship position of the party.

The rest are Kamal-Deen Abdulai, who was contesting for Nasara Coordinator and Charles Adu-Gyamfi, contesting for the position of National Youth Organiser.

The party also stayed a decision on the vetting of Paul Afoko, who is contesting for National Chairman, pending further investigations into a petition submitted to the Committee against him.

The decision was made public yesterday by Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, secretary to the C.K. Tedam-led Vetting Committee.

Although no reasons were given for their disqualification, he said they have the right of appeal and have up to 4:00pm of Monday February 17, 2014 to appeal against the committee’s decision.

In view of this, balloting for various positions on the ballot paper, which was scheduled to take place yesterday for all successful candidates who went through the vetting process, has been suspended indefinitely.

The Vetting Committee has promised to set a new date in the coming week to enable respective candidates to ballot for their positions on the ballot paper.

Confusion
Supporters of some of the disqualified aspirants besieged the party’s Asylum Down headquarters in Accra in the early hours of yesterday to protest against the decision.

The aggrieved party members stormed the place amidst shouts and threats not to allow the upcoming elections and national delegates’ conference scheduled for Tamale on April 12, 2014 to take place if the decision was not reversed.

Some supporters of Paul Afoko had already threatened to drag the party to court if he was prevented from participating in the elections.

When he went to the studios of Oman FM Thursday evening as the issue of his supposed ‘disqualification’ became rife, Mr Afoko again asked whether he was being treated so because he was a Northerner.

A statement issued thereafter by a group who identified themselves as ‘Youth for Afoko’ and signed by one Gilbert Afoakwa and his colleagues Felix Osarfo and Nana Yaw, noted: ‘It is critical that we do not at this crucial moment in our struggle towards regaining power, fan the age-long NDC propaganda that portends that the NPP is an ‘Akan-based party’.’

Mr Afoko spoke to several radio stations disputing claims that he was an ex-convict as was being wildly rumoured without evidence.

It was not clear if that was the reason for which the Committee decided to stay a decision on his fate; but a petition had been placed before the vetting committee which it said was being investigated.

 By Charles Takyi-Boadu