A meeting to exhibit the album of voters expected to participate in the Northern Regional Delegates Congress of New Patriotic Party on Friday (May 27, 2022) ended inclusive over agitations of some missing names of prominent members of the party’s Regional Council of Patrons.
The meeting had to be rescheduled for Thursday to allow proper scrutiny and further deliberations of the album for transparent, free and fair elections.
The composition of voters for the impending elections prescribed under article 9(25) of the NPP constitution includes the ten patrons in the region.
Other eligible voters are: All Members of the Regional Executive Committee, NPP Members of Parliament in the region, Members of all Constituency Executive Committees, all regional representatives to the National Council, the ten Regional Council of Elders, one TESCON member from each recognized tertiary institution in the region and any founding member from the region who is a signatory to the registration documents of the party at the Electoral Commission.
However, three patrons of the party namely: Alhaji Abukari Manan, Alhaji Joe Kadir and Lawyer Umar Abdul –Hamid in a petition said information reaching them has confirmed only three names out of ten members has been submitted as eligible delegates to vote on behalf of the Council of Patrons in the upcoming polls.
“Information reaching us has confirmed that, the list submitted to the National Office of the party for the compilation of the delegates album includes only three notable members, out of the 10 members submitted as eligible delegates to vote on behalf the Council of Patrons.”
The development, according to the trio, is highly unfortunate and unfair to the members of the Council of Patrons at this material moment to replace us with who have never been part of the known membership of Council of Patrons all these years.
“We hold a considered view that, our right to vote cannot be compromised by any authority without our consent. We wish to request the intervention of the Committee for our names to be restored with immediate effect as the legitimate members without which we will advise ourselves regarding the affairs of the party in the region” the petitioners stated vehemently.
The petitioners further called on the elections committee to discharge their duty creditably and ensure that fairness and justice prevail to ensure sanity in the regional conference and election.
Meanwhile, 382 voters are expected to participate in the congress on Friday to elect regional executives of the party in the northern region. The conference would be held at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium.
