President Kufuor is an NPP delegate!

The Statesman can confirm that President John Agyekum Kufuor will be one of the 10 delegates representing Ayawaso West Wuogon in the National Congress to elect the Presidential Candidate for the New Patriotic Party for Election '08.

The President requested through the constituency office of the party to be considered as a delegate. But, this drew some unhealthy protests from several of the polling station chairpersons, prompting the Regional Chairman of the NPP to plead with the members "to show respect to the office.”

In the end the nominations of the President and the Member of Parliament, Frema Osei Opare, were accepted. An overwhelming number of delegates at the extraordinary constituency conference held last Thursday at Village Inn, Abelenkpe, also voted for Isaac Amoo, the former MP to join the MP and the President as among the six delegates who are non-constituency officers.

When The Statesman contacted Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman of the NPP, he said he was not aware of the President being a delegate.

The President would therefore be expected to sit with his constituency delegates in the Great Hall, University of Ghana, Legon on Saturday, December 22 for the congress.

When the question was put to Mr Mac Manu whether a special place would be set aside for the President, he said no such arrangement is being considered.

However, The Statesman is reliably informed that the President may appoint a nominee to exercise his vote on his behalf. It is not clear what the party rules are on this.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah, MP for Sekondi, and presidential candidate, as exclusively revealed by this paper last Thursday, is also a delegate.

The selection of delegates process which started Nov 27 ended Saturday. All 17 candidates are expected to receive the official list with photographs of the delegates, numbering about 2,330, today.