The Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, has convincingly been endorsed by the grassroots of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), ahead of the crucial November 4 battle for the flagbearership slot.
Majority of the constituency, regional, national executives as well as the 137 Members of Parliament who cast their ballot, did so in favour of the Vice president.
None of his opponents could get 23 percent of Bawumia’s 629 total votes garnered at Saturday’s Super Delegate Congress held across the country. There were 927 total votes cast and 923 total valid votes.
The closest contender, Kennedy Agyepong, managed 132 votes, which translates into 21 percent of Bawumia’s votes, with the next candidate, Alan Kyerematen, polling 95 votes, representing 15 percent of what Bawumia secured.
It is instructive to note that Bawumia beat all the aspirants across the 16 regions, as well as the party headquarters.
At the backyards of Kennedy Agyepong and Alan, Central and Ashanti regions, Bawumia polled 25 and 97 votes respectively.
In his home region, Central region, Kennedy Agyepong had 19 votes and Alan had 4 votes. In the Ashanti region, Ken had 6 votes and Alan had 10 votes.
The Vice President, through the special delegates’ congress, has registered himself rightfully going into the November 4 delegates’ congress, where over 200,000 voters would choose one out of the five.
According to official results from the Electoral Commission, which supervised the voting process, Dr. Bawumia, Kennedy Agyepong, Alan Kyerematen, and Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto picked a slot each out of the five.
There was a tie between Francis Addai-Nimoh and Boakye Agyarko, with 9 votes each. The constitution of the party has made provisions that, in such an event, there should be a run-off to separate the tie.
The party’s election committee, chaired by Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, has said that the run-off will be held on Saturday, September 2, 2023. There is also the probability of one stepping down for the other to join the four.
AMENDMENT
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, is advocating for an amendment in the constitution of the party to back the selection of the five with numbers.
According to him, Article 12 (5) as it stands is vague, as it allows the nearest highest vote to qualify to be part of the five, no matter how insignificant it may be to the first highest.
Article 12 (5) (b) of the NPP constitution, as amended in 2009 reads: “Where there are more than five contestants for nomination as the party’s presidential candidate, a special electoral college shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be short-listed.”
He cited in a media interview that a candidate securing 70 percent of the total votes and the next having 1 percent and still being selected to face off again should be looked at.
His contention was that the outcome of the special delegates’ votes was an indication of the direction of the wind ahead of the main congress.
He opined that such an amendment would save the party money and provide adequate time to bring all participants back on track, ahead of the general election.
PRECEDENT
In 2014, there was a special delegate congress to select five out of the seven who contested, four of whom vied again this time: Joe Ghartey, Francis Addai-Nimo, Alan Kyerematen and Kofi Konadu Apraku.
The other three were; Nana Akufo-Addo, Kofi Osei Ameyaw and Asamoah Boateng. At the end of the polls Akufo-Addo secured 81.28%, Alan had 8.01%, Joe Ghartey polled 2.85% and the rest scored less.
Internal discussions and pleas to have the candidate who secured a larger percentage lead in order not to spend limited resources on the main delegates elections were not accepted by the other candidates.
The party went ahead to hold the main presidential primary and Nana Akufo-Addo increased from 81.28% to 94.35%. Alan, who had 8.01% of the special delegates votes declined to 4.75%.
