NPP Holds Congress on August 25

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) goes to Congress on August 25, this year to elect new persons to lead the party in its bid to consolidate political power which eluded them for more than thirty years.

An estimated 550 delegates, constituted of two delegates from each of the 200 constituency branches of the party across the country, 88 members of the National Council including National Executive Committee members and 10 representatives each from the Founding members and Patrons of the party and one representative each from the party's overseas branches.

Even though the party has not publicly unveiled any formal statement on the congress, Graphic investigations have established that the main item on the agenda would be the election of a new National Executive to steer the affairs of the party for the next three years.

The positions up for contest are those National Chairman, First and Second and Third Vice-Chairpersons, General Secretary, Treasurer and National Organiser.

Graphic reports say even though the national secretariat of the party has not issued any notices inviting applications from those wishing to contest the above mentioned positions, there are clear indications that lobbying and campaign for the various positions have begun in earnest.

Two leading members of the party, Haruna Esseku an influential veteran of the party in the Central Region and Professor Mike Ocquaye of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana are locked in a fierce struggle for the top position of National Chairman.

The incumbent National Chairman, Samuel Odoi-Sykes who together with the hardworking General Secretary, Dan Botwe teamed up to secure the hard-won victory and for the party, is reliably understood to be bowing out for a more quite role elsewhere in the party.

With the exit of Odoi-Sykes, the two interested candidates are reported to have hit the campaign trail with meetings with regional and constituency executives of the party to lobby them for their support at the impending congress.

A number of names have also surfaced as being in line for the position of Vice-chairpersons.

They include the current Western Regional Chairman of the party, Mac Manu, the Greater Accra Regional Secretary, Nii Ayite Boafo, a 43-year-old systems administrator, Stephen Ayesu Ntim and two others from the overseas branches of the party.

The contest for the vice-chairpersons have been thrown wide open following the resignations of the previous occupants of the positions due to other assignments.

The first vice-chairperson, Madam Ama Busia resigned to take up a position on the Council of State, the Second vice-chairman, Dr. Wayo Seini, resigned in the run-up to the 2000 elections to concentrate on his academic work whilst the third vice-chairman, Dr. Kweku Afriyie has been given an appointment as the Minister for Lands, Mines and Forestry.

Two members of the party, one reported to have just returned from abroad and a local activist are ready to contest for Dan Botwe's position.

For the position of national treasurer, the names of three women activists of the party have come up. They are Mrs. Mariama Amui, Rosemary Ekwam, the woman who took Kwame Pianim to court in the run up to the 1996 elections that cut short his otherwise brilliant run for the party's flagbearer position and Daavi Ama, recently nominated to the National Media Commission by the President.

Following the exit of Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd), now Minister for Agriculture, as National Organiser, two persons including Mr. Kojo Smith, who recently returned from abroad and another member said to be in one of the regional branches of the party, are said to be eyeing the position.

Daily Graphic reports say a committee would be set up by the end of this month (June) to help the secretariat in charge of the congress and related matters.

The party's constitution mandates the National Secretariat to serve notice inviting applications for the various National Executive positions not less than a month before the conveying of the national congress.

Such applications, by the provisions of the constitution are to be received not less than 14 days to the conduct of the National Delegates' Congress.