Tano North NPP delegates furious over cancellation of constituency elections

New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates in the Tano North constituency of the Ahafo Region are upset about the cancellation of the constituency elections for the second time.

They therefore called on the national leadership of the NPP to be proactive enough, intervene and ensure the right thing was done for the conduct of the constituency elections as well as address the emerging factionalism in the party.

Failure to do so, according to the delegates, would not augur well for the party in election 2024, and consequently narrowed the chances of the NPP to break the eight.

About 691 delegates, including polling station executives, council of elders, electoral area coordinators and council of patrons of the party are drawn from the 128 polling stations in the constituency.

On Sunday May 22, 2022, the delegates gathered at the Sheikinah Lodge at Tanoso for the conduct of the constituency elections, but they were shocked when the announcement came that the elections had been cancelled.

All was already set for the conduct of the polls with police and military presence to maintain law and order. The environment was however calm.

Tempers were however flared up over the cancellation of the polls to elect new executives to lead the party in the constituency for Election 2024.

In an interview with Journalists, the aggrieved delegates expressed disappointment in the NPP over the current situation in the party and asked the leadership of the party to be proactive enough and address emerging challenges in the party.

“I think the NPP is not ready to break the eight. In fact, the party in general, is not serious and the leadership is also playing chances with the Election 2024. If we continue with this attitude we would all be shocked about the outcome of the next general election”, Mr Janamah Biiyien, an Aspirant vying for the Second Vice Chairman position of the party in the constituency stated.

“Nobody is praying for doom, but it is glaring that our party structures are not working and this is going to affect us negatively and narrow our fortunes in 2024. We have suffered for the party and we would not sit unconcerned for the few supporters in the constituency to frustrate us. So the leadership must intervene until the unexpected happened”, he added.

“If we are serious as a party we can’t allow our honourable delegates to come and sit here since morning and only to inform them that the election had been cancelled without any tangible or apparent reasons”, Mr Gabriel Ankomah, the incumbent constituency secretary indicated.

He explained that the party’s Constituency Elections Committee held an emergency meeting with the security agencies and the Ahafo Regional Electoral Commission (EC) on the previous day where it was agreed the election was to be conducted Sunday May 22.

“We have already set the venue, and the majority of the delegates who have arrived for the elections only receive information from the EC that Mr Ernest Kwarteng, the Tano North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) has call-off the elections on the grounds of security reasons”.

“This is disgusting. We must do things right because we can’t allow some few people to disintegrate our front and frustrate the election process for their selfish reasons and interest because if we allow that to happen then the NPP is going to bear the brunt”, Mr Ankomah stated.

Mr Charles Gyamfi Prempeh, the NPP Chairman of the Council of Elders in the constituency said the council of elders was unhappy about the unfortunate events unfolding in the party in recent times.

He regretted that few elements within were bent on destroying the party in the constituency, saying “we have all concluded to hold the elections, but look at what these few people are doing”.

“Have you witnessed any chaos or misunderstanding since you arrived here? This is an indication that some people have adopted calculated attempts to frustrate the election process. The same thing happened the last time we intended to conduct the elections and the delegates can’t continue to forbear”, Mr Prempeh stated.

later, in addressing the disappointed delegates, Dr Freda Prempeh, the MP for Tano North called on them to remain calm, saying they would not be denied their voting right.

She asked them to exercise restraint and avoid tendencies that could make the party and the government unpopular in the constituency, and assuring that she would personally ensure the party did the right thing for the elections to be conducted.

Dr Prempeh, also the Minister of State in charge of Works and Housing said the government had achieved a lot, and asked the delegates to sell such achievements to the masses to enable the NPP to break the eight in election 2024.

"I am aware that some people in the party want to disintegrate us for their parochial interest, but I assure you that would not work. We must come together and ensure that the NPP retain political power for our own interest and the general interest of majority of Ghanaians who looked on us to turn their fortunes around, the outspoken MP stated.

Meanwhile, a letter signed by Mr Ernest Kwarteng, the MCE, addressed to the Ahafo EC and sighted by newsmen indicates “the situation is not conducive for the conduct of the elections”.

“The Municipal Security Council has gathered intelligence that the EC has declined invitation to supervise the elections. There is a very strong opposition to the conduct of the election from within the party”, it stated.

“On the basis of the above the security council strongly recommends that the election should be suspended until further notice, to avoid any disturbances in the constituency”, the letter which was copied to Mr Yaw Boakye, the Ahafo Regional Minister stated.