NPP delegates vote for change in leadership in W/R

Delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Western Region voted for change in leadership during the regional executive elections held on Saturday. The NPP lost some key parliamentary seats to the ruling National Democratic Congress in the 2008 and 2012 general elections under the leadership of the old regional executives. The party�s parliamentary seats in the region dropped from 12 to eight within a period of eight years, out of a total of 26 parliamentary seats in the region. Therefore, most political pundits in the region were not surprised at the turn of events when most of the incumbent executives lost their positions in the just-ended elections at the regional delegates congress. For instance, the incumbent Regional Chairman, Nana Owusu Ankomah, lost his seat when he polled 124 votes as against 285 votes by his main rival, Kendicks Dickson Attah-Nketsia, to win the chairmanship race, while Joseph Edward Papayne came a distance third with 41 votes. Benjamin Kwaw won the first vice-chairmanship contest by polling 184 votes as against 172 votes by Frank Etti, while Kojo Acquah polled 95 votes to place third. The second vice-chairmanship position was won by Francis Ndede Siah who polled 238 votes to defeat his rival Boakye Yiadom who garnered 213 of the valid votes cast. Charles Bissue polled 246 votes to capture the regional secretary position from the incumbent Anthony K. K Sam who garnered 128, with Oketekyia Amankwa Afrifa polling 83 of the votes. Samuel Abiaw polled 147 votes to defeat five other contestants in a hot contest for the assistant secretary position, while Mohammed Abdul Ganiyu polled 173 votes to out-stage Kwame Kinto for the regional organizer position. Golly Antwi-Bosiako won the women organizer by polling a massive 325 votes as against 102 votes by Abena Kwallah, the incumbent, with Veronica Adwoa Nyarko coming third with 24 votes. Yaw Acheampong polled 272 votes to capture the youth organizer's position, with Kojo Acquah obtaining 175 of the valid votes cast. Madam Edna Nyame won the regional treasurer position with 177 votes to defeat two other candidates, while Onasis Abubakari Mohammed polled 235 votes to win the Nasara co-ordinator's position. The crunch regional executive election was conducted by the Electoral Commission with the Regional Electoral Director, Mr. Steven Opoku-Mensah, as the presiding officer, who declared the results and announced the winners for the 10 positions contested for. In all, 451 delegates cast their votes, while 32 contestants aggressively solicited the mandate of the delegates to administer the affairs of the party for the next four years.