A total of 7,163 delegates are expected at the NPP National Delegates Congress at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi today Saturday, October 3, where the party will consider constitutional changes before electing a new set of national officers.
The congress has been structured in two parts. Consideration of proposed constitutional amendments is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., with voting for national officers expected to start at noon across 31 polling stations supervised by the Electoral Commission.
The party is electing officers to nine national positions, including National Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary, National Organiser, National Treasurer, National Women’s Organiser, National Youth Organiser, National Nasara Organiser and National Communications Director.
Flagbearer Could Become Party Leader
One of the more consequential constitutional proposals concerns who formally leads the NPP.
At the party’s January 31 constitutional conference, delegates approved a provision designating the National Chairman as party leader at all material times. The party is now returning to that provision with a proposal to make its flagbearer the leader instead.
Fewer than 20 amendments are expected to be considered.
Changes are also being proposed to the election of Vice Chairpersons. Under the existing arrangement, candidates contest together and their positions are determined by the number of votes received. The proposed structure would allow candidates to contest specific Vice Chairperson positions.
Delegates are also expected to consider allowing the appointment of three additional Vice Chairpersons, creating Deputy Communications Officer positions and making the party’s IT Officer an executive position. The motions are expected to be presented before delegates vote by voice.
Ashanti Has Largest Delegate Bloc
Ashanti Region has the largest representation at the congress with 1,122 delegates. Greater Accra follows with 773, while Eastern Region has 732. Savannah has the smallest delegation with 184, followed by Western North with 223.
Not every delegate will participate in all the specialised contests. About 2,745 delegates are expected to vote in the National Youth Organiser election, 1,275 in the Women’s Organiser race and 858 in the Nasara contest.
Security has also been tightened around Kumasi, with the party saying between 3,000 and 4,000 police personnel have been deployed to manage security, traffic and delegate accommodation around the congress.
The congress will leave the NPP with a new national leadership team and could also reshape how authority is distributed between its elected executives and future presidential candidate.
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