General News of Monday, 23 April 2018
Source: todaygh.com
2018-04-23
Chairman Wontumi has retained his position as Ashanti Regional Chairman of NPP
Mr Bernard Antwi Bosiako last Saturday retained his position as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), with a call on party supporters for unity amongst elected executives.
Mr. Boasiako, popularly called Chairman Wontumi, emphasised the party’s resolve to capture the Ejura/Sekydumase, Sekyere Afram Plains and the Asawasi Constituencies, which were currently held by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He called on the elected executives to work towards the NPP retaining power in the 2020 general election.
Chairman Wontumi was speaking to party supporters after the elected executives were sworn in.
The event was not without some skirmishes as members of the Delta Force squared up to the police in some of the constituencies.
The group was, however, chased by some police officers after one of them was alleged to have threatened to attack one of the police inspectors.
Meanwhile, in the Volta Region voting went on successfully despite a court injunction placed by one George Kofi Boateng, an aggrieved candidate.
Kofi Boateng had claimed that he was not treated fairly and resorted to the courts.
He has since threatened to head back to court after his desire to stop the election was ignored.
The NPP went ahead with the polls in which the former Regional Organiser of the party, Makafui Kofi Woanyah, was elected the new Chairman.
Other members of the elected executives include; 1st Vice Chairman – Kofi Adjei Ntim, 2nd Vice Chairman- Abdullah Mohammed Sadiq, Regional Secretary – Joseph Homenya (incumbent), Assistant Secretary- Joshua Makabu (incumbent), Regional Treasurer- Joseph Dente (incumbent), Regional Organiser- Emmanuel Korsi Bodja, Women Organiser- Afia Agyagbo, Nasara Coordinator- Aliu Bashiru Sharabutu while the position of Youth Organiser went to King David Ninkab Nkabom who went unopposed.
In the Greater Accra Region, Divine Otoo Agorhom beat his main contender, Alfred Boye, to emerge as the Regional Chairman of the NPP.
Mr Agorhom polled a total of 276 valid votes to defeat his closest contender, Mr Boye, by seven votes, after the latter polled 269, in a very keenly contested race.
The polls, which were held at the Trade Fair Centre, also saw a third aspirant, Archibald Cobbina, earn 65 of the total valid votes cast.
Prior to the elections the Chairman of the Greater Accra NPP MPs, Titus Glover, declared Mr Boye as the best candidate, stating that all the MPs in the region were behind him.
Asked if the move to support one candidate would not destabilise the unity of the party, Mr Glover retorted, “I don’t care,” reiterating his stance that Mr Boye was the best man for the job.
Mr Agorhom subsequently described their position as unfair and inconsistent with the values of the party.
Initially, Mr Boye refused to concede defeat and demanded a recount of the ballots.
He claimed some of his votes had been added to Archibald Cobbina’s. But some supporters were heard shouting “no recount.”
The recount went ahead anyway with Mr Agohorm again emerging victorious.
The National Youth Organiser of the Party, Sammy Awuku, swore in the new executives.
The electoral process was rocked with some confusion as some aspirants protested how other candidates acted as polling agents for themselves and sat right in the front row, close to the voters.
In the Upper East Region, the incumbent Chairman, Mohammed Murtala Ibrahim, lost by 73 votes to a legal practitioner, Anthony Namoo, who polled 124 votes.
The regional conference held at GNAT conference hall in Bolgatanga sought to elect new regional executives following the end of the tenure of office of the previous executives.
In all, 303 delegates cast their votes, choosing between 51 candidates aspiring for 10 executive positions