More Trouble in NPP

The crisis that has hit the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the organisation of internal elections seems to be getting out of hand. Latest among the troubles in the party is the limited injunction that has been placed on the Asante-Mampong constituency of the party.

The decision of the court was based on the writ filed by the 2nd Vice Chairman of the party in the constituency, Kwame Ampomaa and another member of the party, Isaac Kwame Owusu over the elections in the constituency.

Though the court is yet to sit and hear both sides of the case, it has decided to put a restraining order on the party, which seeks to bar the defendants, including the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Francis Addae Nimoh, the constituency chairman, Ohene Kwasi Duwaa, his Treasurer, Osei Bempah, the Youth Organiser, Kwame Obeng and the Assistance Secretary, Atta Nti Bediako, their agents, privies, assigns and all those claiming authority through them from conducting the election of party officers for the constituency pending the final determination of the substantive suit.

This was contained in an order for limited injunction dated November 13, 2009, and signed under the hand of Justice Ansu-Gyeabour in their statement of claim, plaintiffs, through their lawyer J. Osei Kofi, noted that following a misunderstanding that ensued between members of the party and the executives in September 2009, over the election of party officers (polling station executives, electoral area coordinators and constituency officers) in the Mampong constituency, the national steering committee of the NPP directed that all activities relating to the election of party officers be suspended with immediate effect.

In spite of this caveat, plaintiffs indicated that the defendants have gone ahead to organise elections for the polling station executives and are in the process of electing electoral area coordinators and constituency executives. For this reason, they noted that the conduct of the defendants, including the sitting MP and the constituency Chairman is none but a fragrant disregard of the letter written by the National Chairman for the party on the authority of the National Steering Committee.

Considering the tension in the area and the looming danger hanging on the Mampong constituency, plaintiffs prayed the court to restrain the defendants pending the resolution of the dispute by the National Executives as pertained in the caveat issued for the suspension of the elections.

A couple of weeks ago, a busload of executives and members of the Asante-Mampong constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stormed the party’s national headquarters at Asylum down to Accra to protest against what they claimed to be irregularities in the organization of elections to elect polling station executives in the area.

The disenchanted members, who numbered over 50, wore red arm and head banks and signing war songs to signify the seriousness attached to their concerns. Their concern was that the MP, who is barely a year old in office, is gradually dividing the party into factions.

In a petition presented to the leadership of the party, the protestors noted that the MP has succeeded in dividing the constituency executives into two factions, with the constituency Chairman, Oheneba Akwasi Duwaa, Treasurer, Osei Bempa, Assistant Secretary, Atta Nti and Youth Organiser Kwame Obeng behind him.

The rest of the executives including the 2nd Vice Chairman Kwame Ampomaa, Secretary, Twum Amankwah, Women Organizer, Akua Adoma, Organiser and former Municipal Chief Executive, Rockson Agyekum and Daniel Ayamfo the Financial Secretary have been left to their fate since the MP claims they are not trust-worthy and for that matter cannot work with them.

According to them, the MP took advantage of the division he has created to organize some polling station chairmen to pass a vote of no confidence in the executives who are seen as his opponents. For these and other reasons, the disgruntled members of and the executives have cautioned the leadership of the party to be mindful of their actions and inactions since according to them, “the temperature in the constituency is very volatile.”

It is their belief that the only way to calm nerves is to conduct open and transparent elections for all interested party members to participate and contest for the available elective positions, adding, “Anything short of this will destroy the fabric of the constituency/party with serious consequences.

Source: The Chronicle/Ghana