Chaos, Violence Mar NDC Election

The acrimony and vile attacks that characterized the campaign of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) appeared to have reared its ugly head at the party’s 10th Women and Youth Organizers’ elections, held last Saturday, December 10.

Reports say four persons allegedly sustained injuries at the keenly contested elections held at the Examination Hall of the University of Cape Coast in the Central Region.

They sustained the injuries after the police fired warning shots to disperse factions that were engaged in a scuffle.

The four unnamed persons, The Anchor gathered, were rushed to a yet-to-be named hospital in the region for medical care.

It is unclear what caused the scuffle in the first place and the subsequent halting of the process entirely. Additional information gathered indicates that the warning shots by the police did not cause the injuries.

Earlier reports had indicated that, all persons in the auditorium were driven out for calm to return to the Conference Hall.

They were driven out, following confusion over the album for the Conference. The confusion stalled the process for hours.

The chairman of the party’s elections committee, Alex Segbefia, asked all persons to walk out of the auditorium after a crunch meeting with the two candidates for the National Youth Organiser position.

“There are too many people in this hall who are not delegates,” he announced in the public address system provided.

He added, “Therefore, we are going to ask everybody to leave the hall. Everybody will be asked to leave the hall while we put in place the ballot boxes.

Meanwhile, the incumbent national youth organiser, George Opare Addo, had retained his position, after a tough contest against a former Ashanti Regional youth organizer.

Ernest BrogyaGenfi, who contested the former Akuapim North municipal chief executive (MCE) four years ago, failed to snatch the position, after amassing a total of 508 of the valid votes cast.

Pablo, as he is affectionately called, on the other hand, also retained the seat with 533 votes.

His victory over BrogyaGenfi aka Amani is second in four years, having beaten him in the 2018 contest.

Having retained his seat, Pablo will serve as the leader of the party’s Youth Wing for the next four years, leading the NDC’s youth front into the 2024 general elections.

Many had campaigned against the incumbent for what they say is his docile handling of the youth department of the NDC. He was accused of abandoning the party for abroad for about six months.

They had wished for a firebrand in the person of BrogyaGenfi, who many see as very vibrant and commanding, to match the NPP in the 2024 general elections.

Pablo was tagged as anti-Mahama and a candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), who his accusers say were financing his campaign.

Interestingly, he had a chunk of the party, including an aide to former President John Dramani, James Agyenim-Boateng, backing him.

BrogyaGenfi was supported by the party’s national communication officer, Sammy Gyamfi, who is going unopposed for his seat.

Mr.Opare Addo, a private legal practitioner, will be assisted by Osman Ayariga, a younger brother of Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bawku Central constituency, Mahama Ayariga, and Ruth Seddoh as deputies.

In the Women Organizer contest, the incumbent, Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw, also retained her seat. She beat off stiff competition from a former MCE for Suhum, Margaret Ansei.

The former deputy Food and Agriculture minister and veterinary doctor polled 433, while her sole contender, famously known as Magoo, garnered 362 votes.

Two others, DzifaTegah and Abigail Elorm Mensah, were also elected as deputy women organizers for the next four years.

Meanwhile, the NDC will hold the next phase of its national Delegates’ Conference next Saturday, December 17, in Accra, to elect the remaining new national chairman, general secretary and persons to occupy other portfolios. The national chairman position promises to be one of the toughest that is going to be fought that night.

The topmost position is being contested by the sitting general secretary, Johnson AsieduNketiah aka General Mosquito, the incumbent, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister and ex-MP for the Korley-Klottey constituency, and one other. But from all indications, the contest is between the incumbent and the general secretary.

Source: Anchorghana