Flag-bearer hopeful of the governing New Patriotic (NPP), Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko has faulted the party’s decision to scale down the electoral college for the rerun between him and Francis Addai Nimo to only members of the National Council.
In a letter addressed to Chairman of the Presidential Elections Committee, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, Mr. Boakye Agyarko described the decision as an unconstitutional act of which he cannot be associated with.
“It is a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the guidelines for the Special Electoral College. It is unconstitutional act which I cannot allow myself to be associated with”.
He contended that the party’s constitution and the guidelines for the elections mandate that the full compliment of the Special electoral college partake in an event of a runoff.
He, therefore, finds the decision by leadership of the party to vary these laws as unconstitutional and detrimental to fair play and justice and thus, opted to refrain from the exercise.
“The Constitutional Special Electoral College with the mandate to shortlist the list of aspirants is and can be none other than the full compliment listed under Article 13, Clause (9). It is not within the province or power of anybody to truncate this list and substitute it with anything else”.
He added, “it is unconscionable that the rules of the game will be changed midstream. Rules and Regulations that are flip-flopped in such a manner is only detrimental to fair play and justice”.
Leadership of the NPP, following a meeting last night, agreed to limit the delegates of the rerun scheduled for Saturday, September 2, 2023 to only members of the National Council.
This was after it failed to get either of the two aspirants, who had a tie in the Super Delegates Conference, to back down.
General-Secretary of the party, Justin Frimpong Kodua had explained that the decision was to cut cost and expedite the exercise ahead of the conference.
He added that many of the external branch executives who were part of the Super Delegates have since left the country and will not be able to partake in the runoff hence, the resolve to limit it to only members of the National Council.
Mr. Frimpong Kodua further explained that the decision is in line with the party’s constitution, which enjoins the council to take decisions in its interest.
But Mr. Boakye Agyarko argued that “it is totally unacceptable to me that such an unconstitutional act can be perpetuated on the altar of expediency. Am I to surmise that the party did not know the cost implication?”
