The Concern Youth Groups of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern Region are alleging that the Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul, the Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Alhassan Saani Shaibu, and the Head of Security for the upcoming NPP Northern Regional Congress, Mathew Nyindam are colluding with the Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP Mohammed Bantimah Samba, to flood the venue of the Delegate Conference with the military and other security personnel to intimidate patriots and supporters of aspirants who will be present at the election ground scheduled for May 27, 2022.
The group at a press briefing on Monday May 23, 2022, describe the alleged move by the Ministers as unhealthy for the party, saying “It is a mark of human rights abuse and flies in the face of all democratic tenants which our great party is noted to uphold and cherished all these years of our history”.
Convener of the group Tahiru Sule, addressing the media on behalf of the group, said the group are not in any way against the presence of the security personnel at such events, but their presence should be done devoid of any ulterior motive.
“The huge disenchantment, disillusionment and dissatisfaction of NPP rank and file in the region against the current crop of regional executives has generated huge interest on the regional contest among sympathizers and members of the NPP in the region.
“Having notice that open participation of the masses will over turn their rigging agenda, they have resorted to using state sponsored security to intimidate party enthusiast who will come to the venue of the conference”, he claimed.
Tahiru Sule speaking on behalf of the group thus, call on the government, to call the Defence Minister and the Northern Regional Minister to order in order to ensure the safety and security of the party supporters through the elections process.
The group also expressed their dismay over the decision by the Northern Regional Election Committee to place all incumbent aspirants on the number 1 position of the ballot paper without any discussion and approval from the aspirants.
Story By: Alhassan Yakubu |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana
Read the full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS LEADING UP TO THE NPP NORTHERN RAGIONAL DEGELEGATE CONFERENCE BY COALATION OF NPP YOUTH GROUPS IN NORTHERN REGION
Ladies and gentlemen of the inky fraternity, we are excited to see you all here though our invitation came on a short notice. We are here this morning to present before you some pertinent issues which deserve the attention of everyone particularly the New Patriotic Family here in Ghana and beyond. These are issues regarding recent happenings with respect to the upcoming regional executive’s elections of our party the NPP here in the Northern Region.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, you may recall that on 13th of May, 2022 the National Council of the NPP thus the second highest decision-making body of the party sat and approved rules and regulations to guide the conduct of elections for the party’s regional executive officers between May 27 and May 29, 2022. We have since been closely monitoring the happening here in the Northern Region in respect to preparations towards the regional elections. Our monitoring has therefore revealed very serious issues and worrying machinations. People who should be very responsible and appear as neutral arbiters in this process are now been tainted with doubts of neutrality. The gravity of the issues at hand are so serious, hence if not dealt with, could have the tendency to mare the beauty of a supposed family affair, compromise the peace of the region and have dire consequences for the fortunes of the party in the region ahead of 2024 general elections. In order to guarantee our appreciations of these issues, we will like to highlight them in segments below;
1.Use of state security and private thugs to intimidate Party people at the conference venue
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, we have uncovered a serious plot spearheaded by the no less persons than the current defence Minister, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, Hon. Regional Minister and chairman REGSEC. Alhaji Saani, Head Security for the Mathew Nyindam among others are colluding with the current Northern regional chairman of the NPP (SAMBA) to flood the venue of the conference with the military as well as other security personnel to intimidate patriots and well wishes of aspirants who will be present at the venue of the commence. Ordinarily, there is no problem with the presence of security personnel at such events but this is normally done devoid of any ulterior motive. The huge disenchantment, disillusionment and dissatisfaction of NPP rank and file in the region against the current crop of regional executives has generated huge interest on the regional contest among sympathizers and members of the NPP in the region. Having notice that open participation of the masses will over turn their rigging agenda, they have resorted to using state sponsored security to intimidate party enthusiast who will come the venue of the conference. This we believe is unhealthy for a broad-based political party like the NPP whose Motto; is Development in Freedom. It is mark of human rights abuse and flies in the face of all democratic tenants which our great is noted to uphold and cherished all these years of our history!
In connection with this plot of security intimidations, we therefore call on His excellency the president of the republic (COMMANDER IN CHIEF) to call the defence minister and the regional minister to order in order to ensure that the safety and security of party supporters are guaranteed throughout this regional election and beyond. In the recent time past, the northern region has enjoyed relative peace and coexistence among all. The least we can expect from our regional minister is to maintain the peaceful region he took over from his immediate predecessor if indeed he wants to be seen a leader who have his people at heart. The N/R minister should therefore be held responsible should this regional election become a source of threat to the relative peace we are currently enjoying in the region.
Once again in this respect, we will like to call on the head of the sub-committee in-charge of security, Hon. Matthew Nyindam as an illustrious son of the region is to allow the title of honour, he carries to reflect in all his dispositions relative to the discharge of his duties as the one in-charge of security for the elections. We have every reason to hold him among those reasonable for any act of mayhem, atrocity and abuse perpetuated by either state or private security at the conference venue against any innocent party foot-soldiers who will come to the venue to observe proceedings of the elections. It is quite perplexing in one’s mind as to why leaders of a political party like NPP will hatch such nefarious plan that is seen to be inimical to the progress of the party just to advance their parochial and sectional agenda. We wish to state on behalf of the youth of Tamale and all faithful patriots of our party in the region that, we shall stand for our right and resist in full force any attempt by compromised security force on that day if they are seen to be that compromised as we have gathered and noted.
2.Unfair conduct by the Regional Elections Committee
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we want to once again use this opportunity to call your attention to key electoral issues so far as the regional elections committee is concern. There is every reason to doubt the neutrality and objectivity of the elections committee base on their conduct so far. Firstly, we all know that the position of candidates on the ballot paper is usually determined through non-probability format in line with requirements of justice and equality. However, to the outmost shock and dismay of the NPP family here in the Northern Region, we woke to meet a decision of the elections committee to place all incumbent aspirants on the number 1 position of the ballot without any prior discussion and approval from the aspirants. Strangely enough no reasonable excuse has been adduced to back the decision despite the widespread disagreement that was expressed by many party followers in the region. We will at this point commend all non-incumbent aspirants for reluctantly accepting this decision because that was enough to bring confusion in the preparations towards the regional elections. We all thought that this arbitral decision of the elections committee was enough not knowing we are yet to see more.
Secondly, we were told by the same elections committee through one of its assigned spokespersons on Radio that they took a decision to hold the conference at the Morden City Hotel despite the huge numbers expected to participate in the elections. This decision attracted huge disapproval of the party rank and file including almost all the aspirants. Because we all know that Aliu Mahama Sports stadium remains the obvious choice of venue for events such as the party regional conference particularly election conferences. If we had the last regional conference that elected the current crop of regional executives at the stadium, why are they running away from the place? Thanks to the common-sense decision for the owner of the Morden City Hotel to decline the request of the Committee to use his facility for the conference, the arbitrary and unpopular choice of the elections committee would have once again prevailed in pursuance of the rigging agenda to favour incumbent regional executives.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, we have also established another grand agenda of the incumbent chairman, Mahammed B. Samba aided by the elections committee to confuse delegates by getting some individuals to file and contest on the chairmanship position. In fact, when the committee first published its list of candidates who successfully filed to contest, we all saw four names as individuals aspiring to contest for the position of the regional chairmanship position. The election committee compromised the filing process by accepting the filling of one Ibrahim Mahama and Gafaru Mohammed after Alhaji Suleman Hashim COP the immediate past Tamale South constituency chairman refused to be used by Samba and his cabal to increase the number of aspirants for the chairmanship position.
Subsequently on the day of vetting we were told that only three individuals showed up for the vetting hence the Mahammed Gafaru was deemed disqualified as per the guidelines from National council of the party. The other aspirant thus Ibrahim Mahama who the committee claimed to have successfully filed and vetted remains faceless and unknown to party faithful throughout the region. The said Ibrahim Mahama from Kumbungu when called by the media said he is not aware his name had been added to the chairmanship position list because Alhaji Mujisu, Mr Shaani and Samba did not disclose to him their intentions hence he was used. Ladies and gentlemen, isn’t curious that an individual will be cleared to contest a no less a position than the regional chairman without any evidence of him ‘nurturing the party’ at any constituency in the region. We all saw how such situations led to the disqualification of some parliamentary aspirants of our party prior to the 2020 general elections. How much more of a position like regional chairman of no less a region than the Northern Region at this crucial moment of our strong desire to ‘breaking the 8’ year cycle of governance. In fact, the clandestine motive of the Samba cabal alongside the elections committee were further exposed when their sponsored anonymous aspirant Mahama Ibrahim’s sample ballot papers emerged on social media with Samba Boys prominently displaying on their timelines. Not only did they said the aspirant decided to use the 2nd position on the ballot, he also decided to mimic the dressings of Samba’s main contender thus Hajj Amadu Inusah Dagomba Boy in the elections just to find a subtle way of confusing the electorates in order to maximize the electoral gains of Samba.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, our intelligence sources have also discovered a carefully design conspiracy to by the incumbent Chairman together with the elections committee to use special code on the ballot papers for the elections to tract all delegates who will vote against Samba. This we are told they are doing it in order to put fear in the hearts of the delegates so that they will be compelled to vote for him. If truly the incumbent chairman and all his executives have discharged their duties honourably to the satisfaction of all, why are they now trying to track those who will vote for or against them?
We therefore want to use this opportunity to call on members of the elections committee particularly the chairman Hon. Mohammed Amin Adam and his secretary, Mr Elvis Bortah that many generations of NPP leaders have serve in this very capacities they are serving today and so they will certainly do their part and go for successive generations to follow but in discharging their respective duties, they should remember that the foot-prints of history will forever keep records of their deeds in this regard for posterity to judge them. The eyes of the whole NPP fraternity here in the Northern Region and for that matter Ghana is watching and they have the choice to serve with honour by ensuring absolute fairness or choosing to pick a side as evidenced in the above instances. However, not only is the judgment of posterity awaiting them but also they will live to regret their favouritisms and biases. We also want to use the opportunity to call on the National Council of the Party, the National Appeals Committee Chairman and every like-minded patriot to avert their mind to happenings here in the Northern region. The conduct of the elections committee so far cannot guarantee us a free, fair and transparent elections and such an outcome can be detrimental to our collective objective to perpetuate the party’s long stay in government beyond 2024. We also call on the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) who are mandated by law to supervise the elections to be watchful of a rigging machinery led by one Alhaji Mujis within the Samba cabal for the EC to come and execute. The EC should caution the temporary staff they will be engaging to be wary about this ‘money can do everything cabal’ as they seek to sour the integrity of the commission through this carefully planned electoral fraud. Any attempt to subvert the will of the masses through results massaging or manipulation will be resisted by the men and women of integrity (Bilchinnima).
3.Manipulation of Electoral Register
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, once again we have come across evidence of empirical validity to the effect that there is another plot by the incumbent regional executives to manipulate the appointment of the seven officers of the party as captured in article seven if the party’s constitution. We have heard and seen instances of the Regional Chairman unilaterally challenging the appointment decisions of some constituency officers who will not yield to his money buying whims and caprices.
Again, it has emerged that our regional chairman and his clique have unilaterally compile the TESCON album with ensuring due process if followed. Closely associated with this is the unknown mode of selecting the 10 council of elders and patrons to vote in the regional elections. It is public knowledge to every keen follower of the NPP here in the Northern Region that the number that was appointed under this current executive were more than 10 hence it is unknown to all of us the qualifying criteria that will be use appoint those who will be will be part of the electoral college for this election. These issues in our sincerest view, justify why there are many calls for the album for the regional election to be finalized immediately and made public as required by due process. We want to state that any attempt to disenfranchise any legitimate appointee in any constituency will be resisted with full force! Any compromised register which do not reflect the will of the people will be rejected period.
For the avoidance of doubts, we will like to remind everyone that per Article 9 (25) of the NPP’s constitution, delegates to the Regional Annual Delegates Conference shall include:
a. All Members of the regional Executive Committee
b. All Members of Parliament in the Region
c. Members of the Constituency Executive Committees
d. All Regional Representative of National Council
e. Ten (10) Members of the Council of Elders in the Region
f. One (1) TESCON member from each recognized tertiary institution in the Region
g. Ten (10) Patrons in the Region; and,
h. Any Founding Member(s) from the Region who is a signatory to the registration documents of the Party at the Electoral Commission.
Any register or album submit for the Friday elections either than the above will be fiercely resisted by the forces of good reasoning.
Clandestine restriction of accreditation for party sympathisers to access the venue and actively participate in the conference as observers:
The Mohammed Amin led election committee are scheming to superintend over the regional election in converted secrecy which has never been part of the history of the NPP in the conduct of delegates conferences to elect officers to stair the affairs of the party. The committee has imposed a restriction on the number of observers to each candidate to just a meagre number of three -3 per candidate.
We need answers from the committees on the following:
What is the legal basis for the number imposed?
Is the delegates conference a private ceremony of the committee chair?
What has been the practice over the immediate past and what has changed today over this conference?
What is the interest of the election committee to keep this family affair private?
These and many more questions beg for answers from the committee most especially the chair to come clean.
We wish to call on the committee to consider opening up the process to ensure full and satisfactory participation of party members to ally the growing suspicion among the populace over the conduct of the committee to shrewd the election process with opacity with a motive to manipulate the election in favour of the incumbent chairman -SAMBA
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, our message is very clear! We are calling for fairness on the part of people in charge of the elections. Fairness here means even-handedness to all participants in the process. We will resist any attempt to compromise the process in favour of any group whatsoever by whoever. We are equal as human beings in our rights before the law and that must be seen guiding all our conducts. The NPP is a broad base political party whose members is open to all Ghanaians. We want to call on the regional council of elders and patron to show leadership by calling on managers of the elections and appointees of government of influence to order in order to guarantee the peace and coexistence of party members and sympathizers during and after the election.
To the elections committee lead by Hon. Amin Adam, we call on you to redeem their image by exhibiting fairness in the remaining process leading to the elections. They will be held responsible for the smooth conduct or otherwise of the elections. We also call on the national elections committee to watch and investigate all matters that we have raised and any other matter that may arise as we go through the processes.
To our teaming youth supporters and all well-meaning party faithful’s “Arise! Arise! Arise!! And be counted to be part of this historic moment of “change” stand for your rights and defend the sovereign will of our dear delegates and prevent “stealers” from stealing your destiny!!
Long live NPP!
Long Live Ghana!
May God bless us all
Thank you
….SIGN…..
Napadow Clifford Atchulo
(Secretary CYG NPP)
