The Ashanti Regional capital, will for the first time host the National Delegates’ Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium or the Kumasi Cultural Centre.

Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that the National Council, the second highest decision making body of the party, has fixed the upcoming congress for Kumasi.

Barring any last minute development, the country’s largest opposition party will hold its National Delegates’ Congress on Saturday February 27, 2010, where five persons will be gunning for the National Chairmanship position.

Delegates at the two-day congress would among other things elect national officers to oversee the running of the party for the next four years.

Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and Stephen Ayesu Ntim are the front runners for the chairmanship position. Other contenders for the position are returnee Charles Wereko-Brobby; Felix Owusu-Adjapong, former Majority Leader; and Sammy Crabbe, former Greater Accra Regional Chairman.

Eight contestants are vying for three vice chairmanship positions, with five persons lacing up their boots for the General Secretary position.

Thirty-four candidates, according to media reports, have filed their nominations to contest the eight executive positions which would be up for grabs at the congress.

The positions are National Chairman, First and Second National Vice Chairman, General Secretary, National Organiser, Youth Organiser, Women’s Organiser and National Treasurer.

Party stronghold

Though Kumasi is largely perceived to be the stronghold of NPP, it never had the opportunity to host the party’s National Delegates’ Congress, except the delegates’ conference of 2004 where President John Agyekum Kufuor endorsed Alhaji Aliu Mahama as his running mate for the second term.

In view of this, information to the effect that the party’s forthcoming National Delegates’ Congress has been fixed for Kumasi has excited supporters and sympathisers of the party in the city.

Party sympathisers who have been sharing thoughts on the decision on various radio stations have hailed the National Council of the party.

They pointed out that they were extremely delighted with the decision to hold the congress in Kumasi because they are optimistic that the event would re-awaken the spirit of the party.

The spirit of the party supporters was for once resuscitated incredibly during the party’s recent regional delegates’ congress at the Kumasi Cultural Centre as scores of them, clad in their assorted NPP paraphernalia, stormed the congress grounds amid singing and dancing.