The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced the guidelines for the election of regional executives for the newly-created regions and vacant positions in the party.

This has become necessary following the creation of six new regions by the government.

At a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, 17 April 2019, General Secretary of the NPP, Mr John Boadu said: “The extraordinary regional delegates conferences shall be held in the newly-created regions comprising the Oti Region, Western North Region, Bono East Region, Ahafo Region, Savanna Region and North East Region, whereas the ‘traditional regions’ from which these new regions were carved, comprising the Volta Region, Western Region, Bono Region and Northern Region, shall hold special Regional Executive Committee Meetings”.

The special regional executive committee meetings will be held from 3 May 2019 to 5 May 2019 while the extraordinary regional delegates’ conference shall be held on Saturday, 18 May 2019, in all the newly-created regions.

Below is the full statement from the press briefing:

PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY JOHN BOADU, THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NPP ON THE PARTY’S UPCOMING EXTRAORDINARY REGIONAL DELEGATES CONFERENCES AND SPECIAL REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press

We have invited you here primarily to officially spell out the GUIDELINES and MODALITIES for the conduct of the party's forthcoming Extraordinary Regional Delegates Conferences and special Regional Executive Committee Meetings which are being held in pursuance to Article 18 and Article 9 respectively, of the Party’s Constitution.

The essence of these conferences and meetings is to elect or appoint (as the case may be) persons to occupy vacant regional executive positions in accordance with the party’s constitution and guidelines of the National Executive Committee and National Council.

The decision to hold these extraordinary regional delegates conferences and special regional executive meetings have been necessitated by the need to fill vacant regional executive positions, occasioned by the recent regional reorganisation witnessed in the country. In light of this, these regional conferences and special regional executive committee meetings shall be held ONLY in regions affected by the regional reorganization.

For the avoidance of doubt, the extraordinary regional delegates conferences shall be held in the newly created regions comprising the Oti Region, Western North Region, Bono East Region, Ahafo Region, Savanna Region and North East Region, whereas the “traditional regions” from which these new regions were carved, comprising the Volta Region, Western Region, Bono Region and Northern Region, shall hold special Regional Executive Committee Meetings.

SPECIAL REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO FILL VACANT POSITIONS IN THE TRADITIONAL REGIONS

The Special Regional Executive Committee Meetings shall be held in strict compliance with Article 9(24) of the Party Constitution, which provides clear GUIDELINES in respect of how to fill vacant positions in the regional executive committee.

Article 9(24) states that:

“any vacancy, which may occur for whatever reason in the membership of the Regional Executive Committee, shall be filled in the case of the Regional Chairperson by the 1st Regional Vice Chairperson; in the case of the 1st Vice Chairperson by the Regional, by the 2nd Regional chairperson, and in the case of the Regional Secretary and the Treasurer, by election of the Regional Executive Committee of another officer to hold such office.

In the case of any other officer, the Regional Executive Committee shall appoint someone to act. Any person elected or appointed to fill a vacancy shall vacate his or her office at the same time as the other Regional officers at the end of the term of four (4) years”.

The special regional executive committee meetings shall be held under the supervision of a National Representative, and shall come off on the following dates:

Bono Region – 3rd May 2019
Northern Region – 4th May 2019
Western Region – 5th May 2019
Volta Region – 5th May 2019

EXTRAORDINARY REGIONAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE TO ELECT OFFICERS FOR THE NEWLY CREATED REGIONS

As indicated, the extraordinary regional delegates conference shall be held in all the six newly created regions comprising Oti Region, Western North Region, Bono East Region, Ahafo Region, Savannah Region and North East Region, to ELECT persons to occupy vacant regional executive positions subject to the following Rules and Regulations or GUIDELINES:

1) The extraordinary regional delegates conference shall be held on Saturday, May 18, 2019, in all the newly created regions

2) The conference shall be attended by the following delegates as provided for in Article 9(25) of the Party Constitution

a. All Members of the Regional Executive Committee in the Region;

b. All Members of Parliament in the Region;

c. All Members of the Constituency Executive Committee in the Region;

d. All Regional Representative on the National Council from the Region;

e. One TESCON member from each of the recognised tertiary institution in the Region

f. All Founding Members from the Region who were signatories to the registration documents of the Party at the Electoral Commission.

3) The presence of at least one-third (1/3rd) of the delegates shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the Extraordinary Regional Delegates Conference

4) There shall be constituted, the Regional Elections Committee (REC), which shall conduct the Regional Executives’ elections on May 18, 2019, at a Venue as the REC may determine.

5) The Regional Elections Committee (REC) shall be constituted as follows;

a. A National Representative, appointed by the National Steering Committee who shall be the Chairperson;

b. One (1) Regional Representative

c. One (1) Representative appointed from the Regional Council of Elders

6) The composition of the Regional Elections Committee for all the six newly created regions is as follows:

Oti Region

Omari Wadie (Chairman)
Isaac Attah Anane (Member)
Abunyaa Magdalene (Member)

Western North Region

Kwesi Nkrumah (Chairman)
Captain Aidoo (Member)
Dr Isaac Segoh (Member)

Bono East Region

Nana Obiri Boahene (Chairman)
Prince Donyinah (Member)
Judith Agyei (Member)

Ahafo Region

Sammi Awuku (Chairman)
Owusu Bempong (Member)
Cecelia Amoah Gyan (Member)

Savannah Region

Rita Asobayire (Chairperson)
Dr. Clifford Braimah (Member)
Alhaji Adam Zakari (Member)

North East Region

Evans Nimako
Seth Boyoyo (Member)
Amidu Abdul Karim (Member)

7) A member of the Regional Elections Committee shall not be eligible to contest for any position in the Regional elections.

Only delegates to the Extraordinary Regional Delegates Conference shall have the right to vote by proxy.

9) Applicants who wish to contest in the Regional Executive Elections shall pay to the Chairperson of the Regional Elections Committee a non-refundable nomination fee of One Thousand Ghana cedis (GHS1,000.00) for the Chairperson position and Five Hundred Ghana cedis only (GHS500.00) for other positions.

10) Only prospective aspirants are entitled to purchase Application Form from the Regional Elections Committee.

11) Prospective aspirants shall NOT be denied access to procure the Application Form.

12) If for any reason, an applicant is unable to procure Application Form from the REC, he/she may petition the General Secretary, for an Application Form at the National Secretariat.

13) The nomination shall open on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, and close on Friday, April 26, 2019, from their respective Regional Elections Committees.

14) Vetting shall be held between April 29 and 30, 2019, and the Vetting Report should be ready on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

15) Disqualified aspirants may petition the National Secretariat for redress by Friday, May 3, 2019, and decision on such petition shall be communicated by Monday, May 6, 2019, which decision shall be final.

16) An aspirant for any of the Regional Executive position shall be nominated by one (1) member and seconded by ten (10) registered members of the party who are known, active and reside in that Region, all of whom shall be in good standing.

17) Three (3) quarto-sized photographs with red background shall accompany each Application Form.

18) The Constituency Albums within the Region shall be used as the Register for the conduct of the election.

19) The delegates to the conference shall vote with their party Membership Identity (ID) Cards but where same is unavailable, the National Voter’s ID card may be admitted by the REC for the purpose of voting.

20) The term of office of the officers shall be coterminous with all regional executives.

21) No member shall be eligible to apply for nomination as a Regional Officer unless such a member is a known and active member for at least two (2) years and in good standing [Article 9(6)].

22) No member shall be eligible to contest an election or to be appointed to the position of a Regional Officer if such a member is a Polling Station, Electoral Area Coordinator, Constituency Officer, Regional Officer, National Officer, MMDCE, MP, Minister or Deputy Minister of State.

THE VACANT ELECTIVE POSITIONS TO BE CONTESTED FOR AT THE EXTRAORDINARY REGIONAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE IN THE NEWLY CREATED REGIONS INCLUDE:

Oti Region

Regional Chairman, Regional Second Vice Chairman, Regional Secretary, Regional Organiser, Regional Youth Organiser and Regional Women Organiser.

Western North Region

Regional Chairman, 1st Vice Chairperson, 2nd Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Organiser, Youth Organiser and Nasara Coordinator.

Bono East Region

Regional 1st Vice Chairperson, Regional 2nd Vice Chairperson, Regional Treasurer, Regional Secretary, Regional Assistant Secretary, Regional Organiser, Regional Youth Organiser and Regional Women Organiser.

Ahafo Region

Regional Chairman, Regional 1st Vice Chairman, Regional 2nd Vice Chairperson, Regional Secretary, Regional Assistant Secretary, Regional Treasurer, Regional Organiser, Regional Women Organiser and Regional Nasara Coordinator.

Savannah Region

Regional Chairman, Regional 1st Vice Chairperson, Regional 2nd Vice Chairperson, Regional Secretary, Regional Treasurer, Regional Organiser, Regional Youth Organiser, Regional Women Organiser and Regional Nasara Coordinator.

North East Region

Regional Chairman, Regional 1st Vice Chairperson, Regional 2nd Vice Chairperson, Regional Treasurer, Regional Assistant Secretary, Regional Organiser, Regional Youth Organizer, Regional Women Organiser and Regional Nasara Coordinator.

INAUGURATION OF NATIONAL COUNCIL STANDING AND AD HOC COMMITTEES OF THE PARTY

The party wishes to use this opportunity to once again announce that all standing committees of the National Council and Ad-hoc Committees have been duly formed and approved at the last National Council meeting which was held on March 12, 2019. The committees include Finance Committee, Constitutional and Legal Committee, Vetting Committee.

Others include Organisational Committee, Research Committee, National Disciplinary Committee, Dispute Resolution Committee, ICT Committee, Welfare Committee, Elections Committee, Events Committee, and Communications Committee. These committees would be inaugurated on Wednesday, May 24, 2019.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the party wishes to appeal to all stakeholders especially the would-be candidates for the various positions in the extraordinary delegates conference and their supporters to respect the rules of engagement and conduct this exercise with the necessary candour. We wish all the aspiring candidates the best of luck in the elections.

God Bless the New Patriotic Party and thank you all for coming.