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Adda’s
popular acclamation is unconstitutional – Polling Station
chairmen
Navrongo (UE), June 2, Ghanadot/GNA
- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Polling Station Chairpersons
in the Navrongo Central Constituency in the Upper East
Region, at the weekend expressed their dissatisfaction about
the popular acclamation of Mr Joseph Kofi Adda as the
Parliamentary Candidate for the area.
They said even though the Regional Executive of the Party
approved Mr. Adda, it was unconstitutional to declare him
unopposed.
These were contained in a statement issued by 57 Polling
Station Chairpersons out of the ninety Polling Station
Chairpersons in the Constituency and signed by the
Coordinator of the Polling Station Chairpersons of the
Constituency, Mr Robert Wezena Alasco.
It would be recalled that on May 25 this year, Mr Adda at a
Constituency Delegates’ conference held in Navrongo was by
popular acclamation pronounced the Parliamentary Candidate
for the Navrongo Central in an election conducted by the
Electoral Commission and supervised by the Regional
Executives of the Party.
The Statement explained that under the constitution of the
party, an extra ordinary delegate’s conference ought to have
been convened by the Constituency Chairman or under the
authority of the Regional Party Chairman before the
Delegates Conference.
It noted that those required to be duly present at such
conference were the contestants, all polling station
chairpersons and the constituency executives of the party.
The statement noted that, the polling station chairpersons
and the constituency executives constituted the Electoral
College for electing a constituency parliamentary candidate.
It said the Electoral Commission was also required to take a
roll call of the electorate present before the voting or
acclamation was made.
The statement said that, if a contestant wished to step
down, he or she would have to announce his intention before
the roll call and the election and noted that, in the event
of a sole contestant emerging following the process, he or
she was then declared unopposed.
The statement said, the Regional Executive in organizing the
election, did not follow the above laid down procedures of
the party’s constitution.
It said the Regional Organizer of the party, Mr. Mohammed
Mohamoud at the occasion alleged that, he had been verbally
asked by the National General Secretary of the party to
convene a meeting for the acclamation of Mr. Adda as the
sole candidate of the constituency without even a written
document.
The statement further said the meeting for the acclamation
of Mr. Adda did not meet the requirement for a quorum and
alleged that, the Electoral Commissioner was prevented from
taking the roll call of delegates.
The statement said the laid down constitutional procedure
for conducting the party’s primaries to elect a
parliamentary candidate was subverted to allow Mr. Adda to
be imposed on the people in the Navrongo Central
Constituency.
It alleged again that, the two other contestants Professor
John Bonaventure Kaburise and Mr. Otito Abdallah Achuliwor
who were disqualified through the vetting process were not
notified before the acclamation of Mr Adda.
It appealed to the National Executive Committee of the party
to intervene and resolve the issue or else they would advise
themselves.
“We would resolve not to canvas for or vote for the NPP in
the upcoming elections if Mr. Adda is imposed on the
Navrongo Central Constituency without going through the laid
down procedure of determining the popular will of delegates
in choosing a parliamentary candidate”, it stressed.
GNA
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