Accra, Dec. 17, GNA - There was near pandemonium at the weekend, when members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Odododiodioo Constituency struggled to endorse the nomination of the Director of Operations at the Presidency for the party primaries.
The commotion was among the various branches of the party who converged at Palladium tin Accra to endorse the nomination form of Nii Lante Vanderpuije.
This was during a News Conference after the aspiring NDC Parliamentary candidate had picked the nomination form from the Constituency Secretary, Mr Joseph Otoo at the Party’s office at Agbadou.
Explaining the guidelines to the filling of the form to Mr Vanderpuije, who was accompanied by a host of delegates and members of the party, sympathisers and opinion leaders in the area, Mr Otoo, who is also the Returning Officer for the primaries to be held on January 21, next year said the nomination of the contestants had to be endorsed by a member of good standing from each of the branches of the NDC in the constituency.
The Constituency Vice Chairman, Mr Festus Bekoe cautioned the contestant and the two others who had picked the forms for the primaries, including the incumbent Member of Parliament, Mr Jonathan Tackie Komme and Mr Walid Ayertei Laryea, a businessman to conduct their campaign with decorum devoid of insults.
Addressing the large crowd of supporters who were present at the news conference, which begun like a religious convention of praise and worship of both Christians and Moslems with songs, Mr Vanderpuije requested the many delegates present to endorse his nomination at a desk mounted outside the hall for the exercise.
This led to a rush and a near stampede among the NDC members to append their signatures although only one person from each of the branches could do so.
Security personnel had a hectic time controlling the crowd who thronged the desk to endorse the nomination form.
After the news conference, Mr Vanderpuije followed by thousands of supporters and NDC members was taken on a street procession in the constituency accompanied with brass band and traditional music.
There was a display of fireworks at Bukom Square and Manste Agbona and an all night vigil of his supporters who recounted the achievements of the NDC Parliamentary Candidate aspirant in terms of community service since 1993.