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22.12.2014 Politics

Portuphy Floors Kwabena Adjei  

By Daily Guide
Portuphy Floors Kwabena Adjei
22.12.2014 LISTEN

Kofi Portuphy and Dr Kwabena Adjei
Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Kofi Portuphy, was on Sunday elected National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by delegates that attended the party's historic congress at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

He polled 2,457 of the valid votes cast to edge out the incumbent, Dr Kwabena Adjei, who was last in the chairmanship contest of the party.

Dr Adjei, popularly known as 'Mr Kill the Cat', managed to secure a paltry 316 votes, trailing behind Dan Korshie Abodakpi, a former Trade Minister, who placed second with 508 votes at the congress which witnessed some constitutional amendments.

Political observers had predicted a close contest, but the election did not live up to its pre-congress billings, as the other contestants trailed behind with miserable votes.

In a short address after his triumph, Mr Portuphy said his election was a leap into another victory for the NDC in 2016, pledging to work together with all members at the various levels.

“We [referring to the new executives] will bring all on the path of unity,” he vowed, drawing applause from the jubilant supporters.

He added that he would make himself available and accessible to all and sundry.

There were spontaneous wild jubilations at the stadium immediately the Director of Election at the Electoral Commission announced the results in the early hours of Sunday.

Clad in party colours, the handful of supporters at the stadium were seen dancing together and playing with fire crackers.

However, a visible black spot in the highly successful congress was Dr Kwabena Adjei's early exit from the congress grounds which made it impossible for him to give a concession speech.

In attendance were party gurus drawn from various corners of the country, prominent among them President John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Amissah Arthur and former President Jerry John Rawlings who were applauded as they walked past the party delegates and observers prior to the polls.

Former President Rawlings, in particular, set the stadium ablaze when he mounted the podium to give his address which was interspersed with jokes and tales, eliciting spontaneous applause from the crowd.

Also at the stadium was Akua Donkor, whose solidarity message turned into a political campaign for President Mahama and the NDC party, which evoked a quick response from Mr Rawlings, with the latter calling on her to join the NDC.

Representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People's Party (CPP), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and others as well as members of the diplomatic corps were also there to add glamour to the occasion.

Founding members of the party, sitting and past Members of Parliament (MPs), Metropolitan/Municipal/District Chief Executives as well as other leading members of the NDC also attended the congress.

Constitutional Amendment
The congress, which is the highest decision-making body of the party, endorsed changes to the NDC constitution which included the expansion of the Electoral College from 3,629 to about 250,000.

The statute title of Propaganda Secretary was also changed to Communication Officer at all levels of the party, while the amendments also saw the creation of a new party wing called 'Zongo Caucus', aside the setting up of a permanent national election directorate and committees.

Solidarity Messages
There were solidarity messages from representatives of other political parties.

While the NPP was particularly concerned about lack of trust and confidence for politicians, the CPP was hard-hitting on the NDC for the poor management of the state with consequential hardship, compelling the MC for the occasion to describe the solidarity message as the weirdest.

General Secretary of the CPP, Ivor Greenstreet, caused a major upset when he chided President Mahama for bad governance, indicating that he thought the NDC was going to use the congress to discuss problems facing the country, but they were using the occasion to share Christmas gifts. “Go on; Ghanaians are watching you,” he disclosed.

In his view, no one had seen the better Ghana promised by the NDC and its leader, except uncurbed corruption that had characterised their administration, an assertion which did not go down well with the delegates.

In all, 69 staunch party members vied for the various national positions to steer the affairs of the ruling NDC in the next four years, after Alhaji Huudu Yahaya dropped out of the chairmanship race a few minutes before the polls opened.

In the National Vice Chairmanship race, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo emerged tops with 2,490 votes, followed by Betty Mould Iddrisu who bagged 2,258 and Harry Zakour with 2,146 votes.

Alhaji Said Sinare, Anita De-Sosoo, and Lee Ocran were declared the fourth, fifth and sixth Vice Chairpersons with 1,425; 1,311; and 1,198 votes respectively.

Kofi Adams, spokesperson for the Rawlingses, caused the biggest upset of the day when he easily swept the National Organiser position with 2,548 votes to dethrone the incumbent, Yaw Boateng Gyan, who finished a distant second with 734 votes.

In the General Secretary contest, the incumbent, Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, had a landslide victory over the relatively unknown Abdulla Ishaq Farrakhan, after the former amassed huge votes of 2,685 as against 606.

The National Treasurer position went to Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah after obtaining 1,725 of the valid votes cast, while closest rival John Owusu Amankwah had a meagre 731 votes to place second, with Kamal Noshie and Awudu Ariff Abubakar securing 520 and 202 votes in that order.

Solomon Yaw Nkansah won the post of the Propaganda Secretary which is now known as National Communication Officer with 1,526 votes, while the delegates elected Kwaku Boahen and Fred Agbenyo as his first and second deputies respectively.

Kojo Adu-Asare crashed out in the contest for the Deputy General Secretary position that saw Koku Anyidoho and George Lawson clinching victory with 2,337 and 1,389 votes in that order.

Joshua Hamidu Akamba and Mahdi Gibrill emerged winners in the National Deputy Organiser first and second positions, while Vida Addae won the Deputy Treasurer post with 912 votes.

The event, which started on Saturday morning, was organised under tight security, as armed police officers, the military and NDC security personnel made every effort to guarantee an incident-free congress.

It was finally climaxed with singing and dancing by party members inside the inner parameter of the stadium at about 4am.

From Ernest Kofi Adu & I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi

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