..Osafo-Maafo Tops NPP Ballot
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is making good its promise that in spite of the perceived attrition among its 17 presidential aspirants, it would as much as possible make the December 22, 2007, Special delegates Congress one of the most transparent in recent history. At a marathon aspirants’ meeting in Accra yesterday, the ruling party jumped yet another hurdle when it successfully arrived at the final order in which the aspirants would present themselves to the delegates.
Daily Guide can say that two of the Akim aspirants have taken the top and bottom positions at the end of the balloting. While Dr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, former Finance Minister and MP for Akim Oda, would be the first to present himself, Hon. Felix Owusu-Adjapong, former Majority Leader and MP for Akim Swedru, would be the 17th on the ballot paper.
The final positioning as compiled by 6.43pm yesterday
1) Dr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo;
(2) Hon. Kwabena Agyepong;
(3) Prof. Mike Oquaye;
(4) Hon. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman;
(5) Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah;
(6) Hon. Jake Otanka Obetsebi -Lamptey;
(7) Daniel Kweku Botwe;
(8) Hon. Alan John Kyerematen;
(9) Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku;
(10) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo;
(11) Hon Papa Owusu Ankomah;
(12) Mr. Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko;
(13) Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy;
(14) Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng;
(15) Alhaji Aliu Mahama;
(16) Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor and
(17) Hon. Felix Kwesi Owusu-Adjapong.
The party also resolved that no aspirant would be allowed to supply labeled pure water to delegates in the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, stressing that only unlabelled water would be provided to all participants in the hall. Incidentally, nearly all the aspirants consoled themselves by attempting to fathom out some positive implications for the positions they picked.
For instance, while the Oda team jubilated at picking the first position, the Swedru camp virtually jumped into high heavens, shouting ‘Asee Ho’.The process of arriving at the final positions initially looked cumbersome, but eventually yielded some interesting developments. There were two ballots, the first to determine the order in which aspirants would be called to come and do the picking, and the second to determine the positions on the ballot paper.For instance, while Kwabena Agyepong’s agent picked 8 in the first, the aspirant took the second position at the final ballot.
Similarly, Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s agent picked number one, but the vice president finally picked the 15th position.The only consistent aspirant in the two ballots was Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko. The former vice president of the Bank of New York, who picked the 12th position in the first, got the same position in the second ballot.
Yesterday’s aspirants’ meeting was one of the series put in place to enable the party smoothen out all rough edges before the congress proper. One main problem in the way of the party is whether all 17 aspirants would equally be satisfied with the list of delegates, currently being compiled across the country.
