Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Asante Akyem North Constituency in the Ashanti Region have petitioned the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) and other stakeholders over what they describe as attempts by the Member of Parliament (MP) and the constituency chairman to ‘hijack’ an ongoing registration process sanctioned by the party.
The card bearing members have accused Lawyer Andy Appiah Kubi, the MP and Mr Samson Agyei of registering only members who “they feel are loyal to their cause”, a development they have described as “shameful”.
The NPP at its extraordinary delegates conference in Kumasi earlier this month directed all party faithfuls to go to their respective polling stations to have their names written in a new register.
Below is the full petition
PETITION AGAINST ANDY APPIAH KUBI (HON MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT) AND MR SAMSON AGYEI (CONSTITUENCY CHAIRMAN) FOR ASANTE AKIM NORTH CONSTITUENCY FOR HIJACKING THE ONGOING NPP POLLING STATION REGISTRATION EXERCISE
Addressed to MR JOHN BOADU, ACTING GENERAL SECRETARY, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
The fact that the credibility of every election depends on the integrity of a comprehensive and inclusive register is undeniable. It is remarkable that governance is only possible after a free fair and transparent election system.
A transparent election system can be achieved only after a clean and transparent registration process. Registration offers individuals the opportunity to become eligible members of a country, group or political party and allows them to exercise their democratic rights and obligations. The need therefore, to ensure fairness and transparency in the compilation of any register cannot be overemphasized.
Streaming from above, we the under listed card bearing members of the party in Asante Akim North Constituency, wish to bring to your attention, a very worrying development in Asante Akim North constituency, which when not nipped in the bud could mar the up-coming internal NPP elections in the constituency and as well affect the fortunes of the party.
In the just ended extraordinary national delegates’ conference held in Kumasi, you explained the need to compile a new party register, where you tasked all party faithfuls to go to their respective polling stations to have their names written in the new register. Per the directive, registrations are supposed to be done at the various polling stations within the constituencies.
It is sad to note that contrary to this directive, Andy Appiah Kubi, the Honourable Member of Parliament (MP) and Mr Samson Agyei, the NPP Party Chairman for Asante Akyem North constituency have hijacked the registration process. Instead of opening polls at the various polling stations for party members to voluntarily avail themselves for the registration process, the MP and the Party Chairman are keeping the registers at the constituency Party office, where they are engaged in selective registration. A registration process which is supposed to be open and transparent is now shrouded in secrecy.
They are registering only members who they feel are loyal to their course. As we all know, the register will form the bases for all elections within the party. As a requirement, eligibility to vote or be voted for depends on the inclusion of a members’ name in the party’s register; therefore, the rational for the illegality being perpetuated by the MP and the constituency Chairman is to exclude names of party members within the constituency who they erroneously perceive not to be supportive of their course.
If this shameful corrupt activity is allowed, the MP will have majority of his supposed loyalists becoming polling station and constituency officers. This will offer him the leverage to always exact his manipulations in the constituency and also give him undue advantage to the detriment of any other individual in any future contest within the party. Indeed, this fraudulence is an insult to the enviable democratic credentials of our great party.
In view of the limited period for this registration exercise, we humbly wish as a matter of urgency to invoke your good office to bring sanity to bare and ensure that the right thing is done. Party faithfuls within the constituency are dismayed at this awful and unlawful development and are gradually losing trust and confidence in the system. Swift intervention is therefore required to avert any possible untoward uprising.
Thank You.
PETITIONERS:
GODWIN KWAO​​​​​​
DENNIS APPIAH ​
​​​​​​AMOAH RICHARD
OFORI EDDIE DERRICK​
ERNEST AGYEMANG​​​​​ERIC OKYERE
Cc:
THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF ELDERS, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
THE REGIONAL CHAIRMAN, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
THE REGIONAL COUNCIL OF ELDERS, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
THE CHAIRMAN, ASANTE AKIM NORTH CONSTITUENCY, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.
THE CONSTITUENCY COUNCIL OF ELDERS, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY.