Open support for Akufo-Addo marks ongoing NPP Special Delegates Congress
Hours into the Special Delegates Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), happening concurrently across all ten administrative regions of the country, party leaders and delegates have been open about their support for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Although open support for a candidate is against the party's constitution which state in part that “where there are more than five contestants for nomination as the party's Presidential candidate, a Special Electoral College shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be short-listed”, Sunday's polls have been characterised by open support for the two-time presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.
Kwamena Bartels, an NPP stalwart and a former Minister of Private Sector Development under the John Kufuor Administration said Sunday although the rules of the party bar voters from openly declaring support for any of the seven candidates, he cannot keep quiet about his support for Akufo-Addo.
But he is not alone. Party delegates across all polling stations have all been doing same.
At the party headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra, party hardliners and grass root supporters cheered Nana Akufo-Addo when he came there to cast his vote.
Former General Secretary of the party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) also declared open support for Nana Akufo-Addo a few minutes after he arrived at the party headquarters to cast his ballot.
"I have come to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo", he said.
Today's poll will end the flagbearer aspirations of two of the seven NPP presidential hopefuls.
Apart from the two-time presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, the others are former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Ghartey, former Minister of State, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, former Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, MPs, Kofi Osei Ameyaw and Francis Addai Nimoh.
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Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has resolved to stay away from Sunday's voting exercise.
He has cited divisions and infighting within the party as his reason and his quest to remain a statesman.
He believes staying away from the exercise would prevent speculations about which of the seven aspirants he supports.
Also, Alan Kyerematen is not voting because he is not a delegate.
Meanwhile Member of Parliament for Tema East Constituency, Titus Glover, has accused NPP General Secretary of deliberately preventing him from voting by proxy.
Mr Glover says although he has met all the requirements to cast the ballot for MP for Dome Kwabenya, Adwoa Safo, General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong is preventing this from happening.
Polls have ended in the Upper East Region where 38 out of 39 delegates have cast their vote; one delegate has died.
Results will however be declared at 3:00pm when polls close.