Press Conference Addressed By John Boadu, The Acting General Secretary of the NPP on The Party’s Upcoming National Annual Delegates

Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the Press
We have invited you here primarily to let you into the party’s preparedness for the conduct of its 2018 National Annual Delegates Conference scheduled to come off in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Capital from 6th to 8th July, 2018. But before that, the party, having learnt with great shock, the untimely demise of His Excellency Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, wishes to once again extend its heartfelt condolence to first of all the bereaved family particularly his wife and children, his close friends and then the NDC and to rest the nation at large for such incalculable loss.
The NPP stands with them and indeed all sympathizers in these trying moments. His Excellency the Late Amissah-Arthur would undoubtedly be forever remembered in the annals of our history as one of the finest statesmen who had served his country with great distinction and diligence as Governor of the Central Bank and then as Vice President of the Republic. May his innocent soul find solace in the bosom of our Maker.
EC and Matters Arising
Having said that, the party wishes to also use this opportunity to pass a quick comment on developments regarding the removal of the former chairperson of the electoral commission, Madam Charlotte Osei and her two deputies. The NPP has noted rather sadly, comments being made especially by the opposition NDC and its surrogates in the media and elsewhere suggesting that His Excellency President Akufo-Addo and the NPP deliberately masterminded the sacking of the former EC boss, based on which premise, some of them are proceeding to call for civil disobedience and chaos in the country as a registration of their protest against this development.
The NPP first of all, condemns all such reckless and potentially treasonable comments and proceeds to call on the police and the other relevant security agencies to act accordingly as provided by law in order not to jeopardize the peace and security of this country. On the sacking of the former EC officials, it would take an ignoramus to think and suggest that President Akufo-Addo or the NPP could have orchestrated their sacking.
We should remind those who genuinely do not know or pretend to know not that, this country is governed by law not emotions or whims and caprices of individuals. Neither is the country governed by the wishes of political parties. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana remains the supreme law of Ghana and as you would all agree, all the processes leading to their removal from office are in absolute compliance with the provisions of the Constitution and nothing more; nothing less.
It is also a truism that this whole thing started with internal wrangling involving the 3 top EC officials throwing mud at one another with all manner of accusations and counteraccusations which eventually found expressions in petitions filed by some workers of the Electoral Commission thereby triggering Article 146 of the Constitution. The President only performed what the constitution of Ghana enjoins him to perform by first of all, referring such petitions to the Chief Justice and acting in accordance with the recommendations of the committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate the complaints having established a prima facie case.
As we all know, it was the CJ’s committee that recommended the removal of the former Chairperson and her two deputies upon finding them guilty of wrongdoing and for that matter breaches of law and stated misbehaviour pursuant to Article 146. At this moment, the President had absolutely no option but to act in accordance with the committee’s recommendations else he would be held in breach of the Constitution and that, may constitute a ground for his impeachment. We all owe it a duty to respect the constitution of our country and nobody is above the laws of Ghana, not even the President. So, if the President himself is subject to the laws of Ghana, then certainly Charlotte Osei and her deputies cannot be above the laws and Constitution of Ghana.
National Annual Delegates Conference
The party shall hold its 2018 National Annual Delegates Conference at the Koforidua Technical University in the Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua from Friday, July 6 to Sunday, July 8, 2018. The delegates conference shall, among other things, elect National Officers who would steer the affairs of the party for the next four years. This National Annual Delegates Conference is being held pursuant to Article 10 of the Party Constitution, which provides that the National Annual Delegates Conference be held at least four (4) weeks after the last Regional Annual Delegates Conference.
The party, as you all know, has successfully held constituency and regional annual delegates conferences and elected new executives pursuant to Article 7 and 9 of the party constitution respectively, which development have now paved way for the holding of the 2018 National Delegates Conference to climax all the conferences and also elect new national executives or renew the mandate of hardworking serving national executives.
The National Annual Delegates Conference, per the provisions of Article 10(3) of the party constitution shall be attended by the following delegates:
a. Members of the National Council
b. Members of the National Executive Committee
c. All members of the Regional Executive Committees
d. All members of the Constituency Executive Committees
e. Fifteen (15) members of the National Council of Elders
f. Twelve (12) delegates from every external branch as defined under Article 8 (2) of the Party’s Constitution
g. One (1) TESCON member, (i.e. the president or his/her designated representative) from each of the recognized tertiary institutions in the Country.
h. Fifteen (15) Patrons elected from among themselves
i. Founding Members across the Country who are signatories to the registration documents of the Party at the Electoral Commission.
j. All NPP Members of Parliament in the Region; and,
k. All Party Members who are Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs)
Per Article 10(2)(4) of our party constitution, the presence of at least one-third (1/3) of the delegates to the National Annual Delegates Conference shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the conference. The National Annual Delegates Conference shall, as provided for in Article 10(2)(6) of the NPP Constitution, deliberate and make appropriate resolutions on the following:
a) The National Chairman’s Statement
b) The General Secretary’s Report
c) The National Treasurer’s Statement of Accounts, and
d) Any other matters
Thereafter, elections shall be held to elect National Officers
The party, at a Steering Committee meeting and a joint National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Council meeting, held on Friday June 29 and Saturday, June 30 respectively, approved modalities for the conduct of the forthcoming national annual delegates’ conference.
Theme for the Conference
The conference shall be anchored on the theme, “BUILDING A STRONGER PARTY, DELIVERING PROSPERITY TO GHANAIANS”. The choice of this theme is based on the fact that the party indeed recognizes the need to build and strengthen its structures to become more formidable in order to sustain power so that it can continue to deliver prosperity to the Ghanaian people. The NPP undoubtedly remains the only party in Ghana that has been at the forefront of almost every progressive development in Ghana and for that matter in the delivery of prosperity to the good people of this country.
The party is credited with the introduction of almost all the monumental economic and social interventions in the country including the NHIS, capitation grant, metro mass transport, livelihood empowerment against poverty, free maternal care, school feeding programme, discovery of oil in commercial quantity, stabilization of the nation’s economy, Free SHS, Planting for food and Jobs, restoration of teacher trainee allowance, restoration of nursing trainee allowance, cocoa mass spraying, establishment of the zongo development fund, formalization and digitalization of the Ghanaian economy. I can go on and on and on. The list is simply endless. We have also led the way in areas of good governance and the consolidation of the country’s democracy.
It is therefore in the supreme interest of Ghana and everybody for that matter that the NPP remains stronger and formidable in order to remain in government for the country to progress and witness sustainable growth and development. You would also notice that in the one and half year rule of His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP government, most of our electoral promises are either being fulfilled or have been fulfilled. You can imagine what the narrative would be, by the time we finish our first term. This, you can only find in the NPP, hence the need for the party to remain stronger and stronger for the good of all.
Conference Planning Committee
The Planning Committee for the 2018 National Annual Delegates Conference shall be chaired by Kinston Akomey, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party. Other members of the planning/organizing committee and sub-committees include:
Operations/Grounds Work/Protocol committee (to be led by Sammi Awuku and assisted by Kamal Deen Abdulai, Kwame Appiah Kodua, Salam Mustapha, Jerry Osei-Poku, Humu Awudu, Uncle Ebo, Justin Kodua, Henry Akufo Djan, Michael Okyere Kofi Baafi, Kwaku Ohene Djan, Kwame Addo Frimpong, Issac Arthur, Kofi Bruku, Abanga Yakubu, Osei Adjei, Kwame Dadzie and Kingsley Ofosu Ntiamoah)
Media/Communications committee (to be led by Perry Okudzeto and assisted by Adumako Baafi, Kofi Agyapong, Jennifer Queen, David Prah and Iddi Muhayu-Deen)
Secretariat/Accreditation committee (to be led by Collins Nuamah and assisted by Eric Ntori, Emmanuel Atefuah, Mark Opoku, Kwame Bediako Frimpong and Patrick Kuevi)
Accommodation committee (to be led by Chairman Kissi Akomeng and assisted by Kwame Kodua, Jerry Osei-Poku, Bright Acheampong, Adepa Safo, Godwin Ampofo-Smart and Kojo Ofori)
Security committee (to be led by Hon. Henry Quartey, Hon. Bryan Acheampong, Hon. Eric Kwakye Darfour, Ali Mohammed Kasule and Robert Akampo)
Food and beverages committee (to be led Chairman Kissi and assisted by Hajia Sawudatu Saed, Fati Vondolie, Grace Acheampong, Charlotte Adjoa Antwi, Sarah Cobbinah and Nancy Aba Sagoe)
Transport committee (to be led by Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Sintim Aboagye, Prince Owura Opoku, Patrick Lawman, Kwaku Oteng, John Mbroh and Adu Boahene)
Also, all the regional organizers and their deputies are to assist the planning committees particularly in attending to welfare matters concerning their respective regions and constituencies.
Programme line-up for the conference
Day 1 (Friday, 6th July) shall be for Muslim Jummah Prayers at the Koforidua Central Mosque during the day and then social events [entertainment] in the evening
Day 2 (Saturday, 7th July) is for the main conference which shall be held at the school park, Koforidua Technical University. The conference would be in two parts. The first part shall be for speeches, where statements shall be taken from the National Chairman (Ag), Report from the General Secretary (Ag), Statement of Accounts from the National Treasurer, statement from the Leader of the Parliamentary Group, statement from former President John Agyekum Kufuor and Address by His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo.
After this, the affairs of conference shall be handed over to the National Elections Committee which shall conduct the internal elections under the supervision of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
Day 3 (Sunday, 8th July) shall be for Thanksgiving Service to be observed at the Jesus Temple ICGC, Koforidua.
Candidates for the Internal Elections
The Rev. Asante Antwi-led 5-member National Elections Committee which was constituted by National Council to take charge of the conduct of the National Officers’ elections including the vetting of all aspirants presented their vetting report to the Steering Committee and the joint NEC and National Council meeting last Friday and Saturday respectively. In all, the committee vetted 41 aspiring candidates and cleared each and every one of them as eligible to contest as candidates in the forthcoming elections. The breakdown is as follows;

• National Chairman – 3 candidates
• Vice Chairpersons – 7 candidates
• General Secretary – 2 candidates
• National Treasurer – 6 candidates
• National Organizer – 3 candidates
• National Youth Organizer – 4 candidates
• National Women Organizer – 2 candidates
• National Nasara Coordinator – 14 candidates

Election of Vice Chairpersons
For the avoidance of doubt, there has not been any departure from the traditional ways through which the party has been electing its vice chairpersons. The election of the vice chairperson shall indeed be held in conformity with Article 10 (F)(6)(1) of the Party Constitution which provides that, “there shall be three (3) National Vice Chairpersons ranked first, second and third according to the number of votes received at the election at the National Annual Delegates Conference”.
Polling Stations and Vote Pairings
The National Elections Committee working in conjunction with the Electoral Commission has set up 12 polling stations for the elections with the following breakdown;
Station 1:
Central Regional and Constituency executives (408 delegates), Founding members (36 delegates), Council of Elders (15 delegates) and Council of Patrons (15 delegates)
Station 2:
Ashanti Regional and Constituency executives (816 delegates)
Station 3:
Brong Ahafo Regional and Constituency executives (510 delegates), External Branch executives (252 delegates)
Station 4:
Eastern Regional and Constituency executives (578 delegates), Tescon (189 delegates)
Station 5:
Greater Accra Regional and Constituency executives (578 delegates)
Station 6:
Northern Regional and Constituency executives (544 delegates)
Station 7:
Upper East Regional and Constituency executives (272 delegates), Upper West Regional and Constituency executives (204 delegates) and all MMDCES (216 delegates),
Station 8:
Volta Regional and Constituency executives (459 delegates), all MPs (169 delegates)
Station 9:
Western Regional and Constituency executives (459 delegates), all non-MP Ministers and Deputy Ministers (39 delegates)
Station 10:
Youth Wing (855 delegates)
Station 11:
Women’s Wing (890 delegates)
Station 12:
Nasara (804 delegates)
Total delegates
In all, about 6000 delegates are expected to grace the conference.
Distribution of the Party’s New Constitution
It would be recalled that the party, at an extraordinary delegates’ conference held in Kumasi on December 17, considered and adopted with necessary modification, the report from the adhoc committee that was set up to streamline the various proposals for constitutional amendment. Consequently, the amended constitution was outdoored by the party. I am pleased to announce that we shall be distributing complementary copies of this Constitution to every delegate as part of the conference souvenirs.
Conclusion
The party, having put in place all the relevant arrangements and preparations, is very confident that the 2018 National Annual Delegates Conference shall be record a remarkable success. We appeal to stakeholders particularly the candidates for the respective positions and their teeming supporters to respect the rules of engagement and conduct this exercise with the necessary finesse and maturity so that would once again have an incident-free conference for the love of God and party. The party wishes all candidates the best of luck in the primaries. May the NPP be the ultimate winner.
Assalamu alaikum