Five members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), including a flag bearer candidate, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, are to face the Disciplinary Committee of the party due to various instances of misconduct during the recently concluded Special Electoral College election.
The remaining individuals are part of the campaign team of a flag bearer hopeful, Alan Kyerematen, namely Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, Raphael Patrick Sarfo, Charles Dokyi Yaw-Addo, and Musa Sulemana.
A statement released and endorsed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, stated that the referral of these five party members, which includes Mr. Agyapong, is based on Article 10(7)(5) of the NPP Constitution.
Citing Constitutional provisions
The statement explained that the referral is in direct response to evidence, such as videos and photos, that indicate potential violations of the provisions laid out in Article 3(5)(A)(1)(2)(3) and (4) of the party’s constitution, as well as potential misconduct under Article 4(7).
The party clarified that Mr. Agyapong is being summoned before the Disciplinary Committee due to his need to provide responses and further information regarding accusations and threats he made against certain individuals in a video that has gained widespread attention on social and mainstream media platforms.
“The NPP remains devoted to upholding democratic principles, accountability, and the highest standards of behavior. We are confident that this disciplinary procedure will be executed with impartiality, transparency, and fairness,” the statement read.
While the majority of voting centers experienced a smooth process, the party acknowledged that there were isolated incidents at certain locations during the election.
“The party’s leadership strongly condemns such incidents and underscores our unwavering dedication to the integrity and impartiality of the election process,” the statement asserted.
In the statement, the party expressed its sincere gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed to the successful execution of the Special Electoral College election held on August 26, 2023.
“We commend the collaborative endeavors of the Presidential Elections Committee, the Electoral Commission, the Ghana Police Service, media partners, aspirants, delegates, supporters, and the broader public for their unswerving commitment to the democratic process,” the statement acknowledged.
“We extend our congratulations to all aspirants and their supporters for their responsible conduct, adherence to the guidelines, rules, and regulations set forth for the election. Your dedication to the party’s democratic principles is recognized and celebrated,” the statement concluded.
During the NPP’s Special Electoral College election held last Saturday, four aspirants were elected, with a necessary tiebreaker to decide a fifth candidate in accordance with the party’s constitution.
The election, which aimed to shortlist five out of ten presidential aspirants for the party’s national congress on November 4, 2023, in order to select a flag bearer for the 2024 general election, proceeded smoothly, albeit with a few reported incidents at some voting centers.
The top four shortlisted aspirants were Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, NPP Member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region; Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, the immediate past Minister of Trade and Industry; and Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the immediate past Minister of Food and Agriculture.
However, the party needs to resolve a tie between former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko, and former MP for Ashanti Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Francis Addai-Nimoh, both of whom secured nine votes each.
Vice-President Bawumia garnered a total of 629 votes, equivalent to 68.15 percent; Mr. Agyapong received 132 votes, accounting for 14.30 percent; Mr. Kyerematen obtained 95 votes, or 10.29 percent; and Dr. Akoto garnered 36 votes, representing 3.90 percent.
Those who did not qualify for the top five were Kwabena Agyapong with 6 votes (0.35 percent), Joe Ghartey with 4 votes (0.34 percent), Kojo Poku with 3 votes (0.32 percent), and Kofi Konadu Apraku with 0 votes (0.00 percent).
Two incidents garnered significant media coverage. One incident involved the alleged removal of a polling agent from a voting center, while the other was an assault on a polling agent supporting a different aspirant.