Jaman South: Press Conference On The Petition Sent To The NPP General Secretary On The Conduct Of Executives…

Jaman South: Press Conference On The Petition Sent To The NPP General Secretary On The Conduct Of Executives….

PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE PETITION SENT TO THE NPP GENERAL SECRETARY ON THE CONDUCT OF POLLING STATION EXECUTIVES, ELECTORAL AREAS AND CONSTITUENCY EXECUTIVES ELECTIONS IN JAMAN SOUTH – 31/01/2023

INTRODUCTION AND GREETINGS
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, good afternoon. I thank you all for honouring the invitation to attend this press conference, even though the notice of invitation was very short.

All of us gathered here this afternoon are card-bearing members of the NPP in Jaman South Constituency, and we have called this press conference in that capacity.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a notorious historical fact that for over 20 years now, Jaman South Constituency has fed the NPP well as one of the Party’s strongholds in Ghana. However, we suffered monumental and historic defeat in the parliamentary elections in the 2020 general elections.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is sad to note that the NPP is in a historic moment of frightening disunity and crisis, abuse of power and lawlessness almost at every level of the Party’s structure. Internal party elections are often marked by wanton abuses, malpractices, corruption and irregularities, all to achieve selfish gains.

SUMMARY OF PURPOSE OF PRESS CONFERENCE

Ladies and gentlemen, before we proceed any further, we wish to state the purpose of today’s press conference. The purpose of today’s press conference is to update the media, members of the NPP in particular and Ghanaians in general on the illegalities, arbitrariness and procedural irregularities which characterized the organization and conduct of the 2022 Polling station executive elections in Jaman South Constituency.

Specifically, there are four central themes of this press conference, which are:

NO POLLING STATION EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS HAVE BEEN HELD IN JAMAN SOUTH CONSTITUENCY SINCE JANUARY 2022.

NO CONSTITUENCY EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS HAVE BEEN HELD IN JAMAN SOUTH CONSTITUENCY SINCE JANUARY 2022.

ANY CONSTITUENCY ALBUM SUBMITTED TO THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT FROM JAMAN SOUTH CONSTITUENCY IS FAKE, FICTITIOUS AND NOT CREDIBLE.

WE EXPECT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE NPP TO ACT ON OUR PETITIONS FILED BY WHICH WE DEMAND THAT POLLING STATION EXECUTIVE AND CONSTITUENCY EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS SHOULD BE HELD IN JAMAN SOUTH CONSTITUENCY BEFORE WE GO FOR PARLIAMENTARY AND PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES AHEAD OF THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS.

BACKGROUND: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

Ladies and gentlemen, we wish now to outline the background or chronology of events that has necessitated this press conference. Somewhere in January 2022, the National Executive Council of the NPP announced its intentions and modalities to conduct Polling Station Executive Elections, Electoral Area Coordinators Elections and Constituency Executive Elections across the country. Shortly thereafter, news came that the process had been suspended in some Constituencies, including the Jaman South Constituency. No reasons were given for the suspension.

By a deliberately short notice, it was announced on Tuesday April 12, 2022 that processes for the polling station executive elections would begin the next day in Jaman South Constituency. Party members were told that forms would be available for purchase for two days, i.e. Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th April, 2022. What happened in these two days was that the Polling Station Executive Elections Committee (hereinafter referred to as “Committee”) distributed the forms to all old polling station executive members at their various polling stations, leaving new applicants stranded at the party office at Drobo.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Committee announced the date for vetting and voting but the Committee kept postponing the dates without explanation.

Eventually, we were told that the Committee had arbitrarily decided to maintain the old Polling Station Executive Members and Electoral Area Coordinators, without giving new members the opportunity to contest for the various positions that they had applied to contest. Some of us did not take that decision very serious because we knew that, that decision would violate relevant provisions of the NPP Constitution and the Guidelines that the party had issued to govern the conduct of the elections.

We want to emphasise that from January 2022 till today, no Polling Station Executive Elections, and no Electoral Area Coordinators Elections have been held in Jaman South.

Even though no Polling Station Executive Elections, and no Electoral Area Coordinators Elections have been held in Jaman South, the Elections Committee issued social media notices on 2nd May, 2022, to the effect that nominations had opened for Constituency Executive elections. The Committee decided to conduct the Constituency Executive elections between Friday 6th and Sunday 8TH May, 2022. Some aggrieved members of the party took the matter to the Sunyani High Court and the court granted injunction to restrain the conduct of the Constituency Executive Elections.

However, in clear violation of the court orders, some people went to hide at Dwenem Senior High School to conduct the Constituency Executive elections.

We want it to be on record that the Electoral Commission of Ghana declined to supervise the supposed Constituency Executive elections because of the injunction orders. As we speak, some people are carrying themselves out as Constituency Executive Members.

We wish to state that there have never been any Constituency Executive elections conducted in Jaman South from January 2022 till now.

Consequently, there are no Constituency Executive in Jaman South Constituency.

PETITIONS

Ladies and gentlemen, against the foregoing background, some aggrieved members of the party in Jaman South Constituency have written many petitions to the National Executive Council of the Party. In a video that has gone viral, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justine Frimpong Kodua, has indicated publicly that he has received petitions from aggrieved party members in Jaman South Constituency. We hope and trust that the National Executive Council would take action on our petitions.

We are painfully aware that many of the party’s loyal members in the Constituency are unhappy with the current Constituency Album which was secretly prepared without elections.

Let me say this before the purpose of this press conference is misconstrued: we are not against any of the old polling station executive members. We only want fairness and justice to prevail for all members.

CONCLUSIONS: SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

Ladies and gentlemen, we wish to conclude this press conference by highlighting the key points which form the basis of our grievance, complaints and expectations:

We request the National Executive Committee to set up a committee to investigate whether Polling Station Executives, Electoral Area Coordinators and Constituency Executives Elections were conducted in Jaman South Constituency in 2022.

We request the National Executive Committee to investigate whether the persons whose names are contained in the purported album submitted to the national office as representing Polling Station Executives, Electoral Area Coordinators and Constituency Executives in the Jaman South Constituency were in fact publicly voted for in line with the Rules and Regulations issued by the National Council of the Party.

To investigate whether the Electoral Commission of Ghana conducted and supervised any Constituency Executives Elections in Jaman South Constituency in 2022 in accordance with law.

That Polling Station Executives, Electoral Area Coordinators and Constituency Executives Elections be held in Jaman South Constituency in line with the Rules and Regulations issued by the National Council of the Party.

Any Constituency album submitted to the National Secretariat from Jaman South Constituency is fake, fictitious and not credible.

That the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential Primaries should not be conducted in Jaman South Constituency unless the Polling Station Executives, Electoral Area Coordinators and Constituency Executives Elections have been conducted.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are of the firm believe that, BREAKING THE EIGHT (8) IS WORK TO BE DONE, NOT A SLOGAN TO BE CHANTED.We cannot break the eight (8) if we continue to deepen division in the party. We cannot break the eight (8) if we do not listen to the grassroots. Our purposes is to maintain the beauty and attractions of the NPP to win power in 2024.

I thank you all for your attention. God bless you.

SPOKESPERSONS:

KWAN KWASI GODFRED
0249366296
0579480713

ERNEST ATTA AGYEPONG
JAMAN SOUTH COMMUNICATION OFFICER
0246706694

ALEX AGYEMANG BADU
0247084079

BOABENG CLEREANCE
0246421415

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