The annual delegates conference of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region is ongoing amid a lot of controversy.
The conference which is being held at Hohoe began on a note of funfare with supporters singing and dancing to local borborbor, drew a large crowd to the venue to give support to their aspirants.
The first half of the programme went uneventful.
Various speakers welcome the delegates and gave the reason for the conference. They called for unity among the aspirants during and after the elections to ensure the party retains power and win more parliamentary seats for the party in the Volta Region in the 2020 general elections.
However, when it was time for election of regional executives, the major on the agenda for the day, there was a controversy as to whether the elections should go on or not.
The Regional Electoral Commission (EC) Boss, Mr Selormey Dogbey, overseeing the conduct of elections ruled out the election of Chairmanship position, saying, that position is been contested in a court of law.
This intended decision met the displeasure of both aspirants and the delegates resulting in EC officials packing away voting materials.
It took the intervention of Lands and Natural Minister, John Peter Amewu who purportedly spoke with national EC officials for the process to resume.
The controversy was a result of an ex parte interlocutory injunction secured by a disqualified regional chairman aspirant, Mr. George Kofi Boateng from Ho High court on Friday, April 20, 2018 to prohibit the conduct of the elections.
Mr. Kofi Boateng, a former Regional Secretary, vying for Regional Chairmanship position, in addition to three others, Mr. Joseph Kwaku Wilberforce, a first Vice regional Chairman aspirant, Joy Kumfo, assistant regional Secretary aspirant and Lambert Sefadzi Ahiadzu, vying for the regional treasurer position, were disqualified from taking part in the contest.
The vetting which took place on March 26 and 27, 2018, chaired by Mr. Bob Charles Agbontor, with Mr. Ken Ayim and Madam Agnes Okudzeto as members, disqualified the four for various reasons.
According to Mr Boateng, he was shocked when he learnt of his disqualification based allegations and made several attempts to seek redress from the party but failed.
Meanwhile, voting is in progress to elect regional officers to steer the affairs of the party in the region.
However, prior to the start of the voting, one of the chairman aspirants, Lawyer Ken Anku withdrew from the race, citing the injunction as the basis for his inability to remain in the contest.
By: Ewoenam Kpodo/voltaonlinegh.com
