Kumasi — THE FORMER presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, finally put the nail in the coffin of his closest rival, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, after chalking another emphatic victory in the party's National Delegates Conference held last Saturday in Kumasi.

Having dished out what appeared to be the last straw that breaks the camel's back, Nana Addo might as well have finally sent his opponent home packing, after seeing his preferred candidates sweep all the major positions in the party's crucial conference, held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday.

It was all joy for the former flagbearer, particularly, having seen his cherished dream of regional balance in the crucial race, apparently come true. In the heat of the party's colourful and much-awaited conference, a former Trade and Industry Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Alan Kyerematen, watched helplessly as his "darling boy" and favoured candidate, Stephen Ntim, surrendered victory to his fiercest rival, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey.

Before the Electoral Commission delegation, led by the Deputy Chairman in-charge of Operations, Mr. Sarfo Kantanka, could officially announce the certified results, both Mr. Ntim and his mentor, Alan Kyerematen, were conspicuously missing from the 40,000-capacity Baba Yara Stadium.

With the exception of the second vice national chairman, and the national women's organiser positions, which were won by the pro-Alan group, all the six major slots were won by the former flagbearer's faction.

In the national chairman position, which was contested by five candidates, including Mr. Felix Owusu Adjapong, Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey, Mr. Samuel Crabbe, Stephen Ntim, and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, a former Tourism Minister who led the pro-Nana Addo faction, Jake beat his rival Ntim by a clear 226 vote, securing 2,030 votes against that of his opponent's 1,804.

The former Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Sammy Crabbe, polled 43 votes, with the former CEO of Ghana@50 Secretariat, and the ex-Majority leader, securing 29 and 25 votes respectively.

In the vice chairmanship slots, two candidates from the pro-Nana faction, Fred Oware and Sophia Horner-Sam, secured the first and the third vice chairmanship positions, with 2,964 and 1,743 votes respectively, while Sheikh T. B. Damba polled 1,798 to snatch the second vice chairmanship slot. The former women's organiser, Rita Asobayire, could not make it to the last three, after managing only 1, 019 votes, with Michael Omane Wadie, Edward Collins Boateng, Amadu Kareem, and Baaba Otoo, securing 952; 677; 981 and 464 votes respectively.

The General Secretary position was also won by another Nana Addo kingpin, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as "Sir John".

The Kumasi-based legal practitioner, who has gradually become the toast of NPP fans, ditched his main rival, Nana Ohene Ntow, trouncing him by 2,386 votes, as against his opponent's 918.

The other contestants, Capt. Nkrabeah Effah Dartey (rtd), Obeng Busia, and Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, could only manage 431, 139 and 77 votes respectively.

The National Organiser position was won by the not too clear pro-Nana member, Alhaji Moctar Bamba, who polled 3,428 votes to beat his opponents John Boadu and Isaac Edumadze, who secured 448 and 75 votes.

The National Women's organiser contest, one of two positions secured by the pro-Alan group, went to Otiko Afisah Djaba, who polled 280 votes, to narrowly beat her only rival, Mrs. Christine Churcher, who secured 260 votes.

In the national youth organiser position, the leading Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) spokesperson and member of the pro-Nana Addo group, beat his main rival, Stephen Amoah, aka Sticker, a long-time supporter of Alan Kyerematen, after polling 273 votes against that of 192 by Amoah. The other candidates, Pius Enam Hadzide and Michael Ampong polled 145 and 15 votes each.

The position of the National Co-ordinator of the Nasara Club went to one Abubakar Suleiman, who secured 150 votes beat his opponents, Alhaji Tanko Maharaja and Mohammed Amin, who polled 47 and 50 votes each.