About fifty National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists have been cleared to contest various positions in the party in the Western Region as it goes to congress at the weekend.
The Chronicle can report that whilst the Regional Chairmanship position is expected to be a ‘cool chop’ for the incumbent, Nana Kojo Toku, who would come face to face with Gibril Alhassan Laminn, the rest – Secretary, Organiser, Women Organiser and Youth Organiser positions are expected to be fiercely contested amongst the aspirants.
The Secretary position, for instance, has four aspirants, and the incumbent, Joseph Nelson, who has held the position for three terms, appears to be in a ‘lion’s den’.
Famous Tumi-Acquah, a former Regional Communication Officer and a Lecturer at the Takoradi Technical University, Enoch Appiah, a former District Chief Executive (DCE) and Mawutor Kojo Senoo are expected to give the incumbent a good run for his money.
The Organiser position is also expected to be fiercely contested amongst five aspirants. Charles Kojo Fordjour, who is currently holding the fort after the shocking demise of the substantive Organiser, would have to justify why the delegates should entrust him with the position.
With George Dadzie, the current Youth Organizer contesting for the position, the rest-Muhammed Yonus, Michael Quarshie and Alfred Mensah are only adding up to the numbers of those contesting the position.
In other words, it is a straight contest between Charles Kojo Fordjour and George Dadzie for the position.
What should have been a fierce contest between a boss and his deputy for the position of Regional Communication Officer would unfortunately not come off, because of the withdrawal from the race by Ebenezer Essien, hitherto tipped to give his boss a good run for his money.
Ebenezer Essien, Deputy Regional Communication Officer had laced his boots to contest the position giving strong assurances to defeat his boss, Richard Kirk Mensah.
Regrettably, days to the filing of nomination, Ebenezer Essien did not live by his own decision, as he had made many believe, caving in at the last minute by withdrawing his nomination.
The decision by Essien to withdraw has come as a shock to many, with his followers wondering why he decided to thrown in the towel at the last minute.
He (Essien) confirmed to this reporter that he would not contest his boss because some party elders prevailed upon him to step down.
But for the party elders, Essien says he would have gone ahead with his decision to contest having served as deputy for four years.
“I am still going for the election as Deputy Regional Communication Officer. Some elders of the party spoke with me to step down,” he told this reporter in a WhatsApp response.
But Richard Kirk Mensah, who has filed his nomination for the Regional Communication Officer position and is going unopposed, told this reporter it was not accurate that some party elders prevailed on his deputy to step down for him (Kirk) to go unchallenged.
According to him, Essien tested the waters and realised that if he contested him (Kirk), he would suffer a heavy and humiliating defeat. So, to be on a safer side, Essien decided not to contest him and rather contest the Deputy Regional Communication Officer position.
Kirk said he had worked the last four years as Regional Communication Officer, visiting all the constituencies, and that the delegates could attest to his hard work.
