Confusion has engulfed the Mfantseman Constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of its internal elections scheduled for Saturday, July 12, with a group of 180 Electoral Area Coordinators raising concerns over the delayed release of the party’s electoral album and the choice of venue for the polls.
Barely 48 hours before delegates are expected to elect new constituency executives, the coordinators have called on the party’s leadership to immediately release the certified electoral album, arguing that its continued unavailability could compromise the transparency and credibility of the election.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s constituency office at Kormentse, spokesperson for the group, Mr. Eric Kwesi Baffoe, questioned why delegates and aspirants had not yet been provided with the electoral album despite the proximity of the elections.
According to Mr. Baffoe, the electoral album is a crucial document that allows delegates and contestants to verify the list of eligible voters and promotes a free, fair, and transparent electoral process. He appealed to the constituency, regional, and national leadership of the NPP to intervene and ensure that the authentic electoral album is made available before voting begins.
Mr. Baffoe also objected to the reported selection of Manna Heights Hotel as the venue for the constituency elections. He argued that the facility serves as the workplace of the incumbent Constituency Chairman, Mr. Nathaniel Owusu, and therefore may not be perceived as a neutral venue for such an important internal exercise.
He further alleged that the incumbent Constituency Chairman had acted in a partisan manner by bringing in security personnel to intimidate some aspirants and their supporters. Mr. Baffoe urged the party leadership to investigate the matter and ensure that all contestants are given a level playing field throughout the electoral process.
Other party members who addressed the media echoed similar concerns, insisting that the current constituency executives had failed to issue what they described as the genuine and verified electoral album within the expected timeframe.
They maintained that proceeding with the elections without first addressing these concerns could lead to disputes and undermine confidence in the outcome of the polls.
The group therefore called on the NPP’s regional and national executives to urgently intervene by releasing the certified electoral album, relocating the elections to a neutral venue, and ensuring a peaceful, transparent, and credible electoral process for all delegates and aspirants.
As of the time of filing this report, the Mfantseman Constituency executives of the NPP had not publicly responded to the allegations raised by the coordinators.
