Resist attempts to delete your names, Alan alleges and tells delegates
Alan Kyerematen’s claims come a few days after he wrote to the NPP, citing anomalies with its super delegates’ album
A prominent presidential hopeful of the New Patriotic Party, Alan Kyerematen, has cautioned NPP delegates about what he says are plans by the party’s officials to delete their names from the voters’ album that will be used for the NPP presidential primaries on 4 November 2023.
Kyerematen, in a video clip posted by Carlos Ahenkorah, a member of his campaign team who is also the sitting MP for Tema West in the Greater Accra Region, is heard telling a gathering of delegates to resist any such attempt.
“I know that in your hearts, it’s Alan you want, but some persons are threatening to remove your names from the register if you don’t toe a particular line,” Kyerematen says in the video clip.
“Rest assured that no one has the authority to remove your names from the voters’ album. Do not be afraid of anyone. Do not, under any circumstances, be afraid of anyone,” he urged.
Alan’s request
Alan Kyerematen’s claims come a few days after he wrote to the NPP election committee citing certain anomalies with the super delegates’ album, after his campaign team conducted an audit and demanded that certain names be removed from the album.
The Kyerematen team raised these concerns in a letter dated 2 August 2023, signed by Nana Ohene-Ntow, the head of election planning and management for the Kyerematen campaign, and addressed to the chairman of the NPP presidential election committee.
“I write for and on behalf of the Alan for President (A4P) campaign. Aspirants were advised to review the register for the special delegates’ conference (SDC) and to return their comments within one week of receipt of the register,” the letter said.
“After an audit and review of the guidelines for the SDC, please find the comments of the A4P campaign as follows:
Audit of register for eligibility
“The audit was conducted based on presence in the register used for the last internal elections,” the letter said.
“In line with the directive of the general secretary, no changes are to be made in the register until the next round of internal party elections.”
The A4P letter went on to identify specific concerns its author had as far as the super delegates’ conference album was concerned.
Upper East Region
“The regional research and elections officer, Edward Naabil (deceased), has been replaced with Daniel Ziba – appointed. Given that the general secretary specifically stated that the register used for the last national elections is not to be touched, the appointment in replacement of the late Naabil is an anomaly requiring explanation,” the letter of objection says.
Central Region
“Mfantsiman chairman Gibrine Adams (deceased) and founding member Kwasi Kyere, also deceased, remain in the Register but the names are not eligible to vote,” the complaint says.
Volta Region
“Per the rules, it is improper that the deceased Adaklu constituency chairman Shapah Seth, has been replaced with the Adaklu constituency first vice-chairman Amegboe. Therefore, the first vice-chairperson is not eligible to vote,” the letter continues.
Ashanti Region
“The second regional vice-chairperson, Victoria Nyarko Kusi, has been duplicated as Victoria Owusu-Achiaw, redesignated in the same album as regional representative to National Council. The identity needs to be streamlined.”
National Executive Committee
“The Chief of Staff (CoS) has been listed to vote under the category of NEC. However, per the constitution, the office of CoS is not part of the NEC. Therefore, the Honourable Chief of Staff is not entitled to vote,” the letter says.
The SDC
The NPP super delegates’ conference is scheduled to take place on 26 August 2023 in all 16 regional capitals of Ghana, with an additional voting centre at the NPP head office in Accra.
In balloting, the Vice-President of the Republic and leading contender in the New Patriotic Party’s presidential primaries picked the last spot (tenth position) on the ballot paper for the party’s super delegates’ conference, in which the ten contestants for the NPP flagbearership will be trimmed down to five for the main polls taking place on 4 November 2023.
The two closest contestants of the vice-president – Kennedy Agyapong and Alan Kyerematen – picked the first and second slots, respectively. Joe Ghartey, the former minister of railways development and sitting MP for Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region, took third position. The energy expert Kwadwo Poku secured the fourth spot and the former food and agriculture minister Owusu Afriyie Akoto picked the fifth.
The former NPP general secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, the former MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region Francis Addai Nimoh, the economist and former regional co-operation minister Kofi Konadu Apraku and the former energy minister Boakye Agyarko picked the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth positions, respectively.
The exercise to pick places on the ballot paper for voting in the conference took place at the NPP headquarters in Accra today (Wednesday 26 July 2023).
Balloting was postponed on Monday 24 July 2023 to Wednesday 26 July after representatives of some of the aspirants raised concerns about modalities for the exercise.
Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra
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