A founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has shot down assertions that the National Executive
Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffour, an elder of the NPP
Committee of the party may have to choose candidates for various constituencies in the event that the party fails to hold her primaries due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party; John Boadu dropped a bombshell last…when he stated that the National Executive Committee of the party reserved the powers to handpick parliamentary candidates to represent the party in the 2020 elections in the event that the party is unable to hold parliamentary primaries.
Dr. Amoako Tuffuor however says it might not get to that.
In an interview with ghanagong.com’s Bernard Buachi, Dr. Amoako Tuffuor explained that John Boadu said what he said without malice as he was giving a hypothetical scenario. He explained that in the unlikely case that it so happens, there will be lots of consultations and modalities will be put in place to ensure an amicable process.
He however threw in a suggestion detailing how the primaries can be held successfully following all the protocols laid down for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission from person to person.
“There are countries which have been harder hit by the COVID-19 pandemic than Ghana but have followed carefully set out protocols to vote” he stressed.
He suggested that big parks could be utilized with all the social distancing protocols considering the fact that parties elsewhere with far larger numbers and greater COVID-19 impact have held primaries successfully. He believes the primaries can be held successfully in the space of a month.
He called for rules to be followed and advised that the party shuns autocratic tendencies that might cause divisions within the party and hence affect the electoral fortunes of the party.
He says the strategies to beat the NDC have been formulated and can be implemented easily, hinting that NDC is not a problem for the NPP as the nation approaches another general elections. He however appealed for careful implementation of events within the NPP to ensure party cohesion.
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The elder of the elephantine family has said it all.With strict adherence to safety protocols,we can easily hold our primaries without any risk.I am Twumasi Benjamin; a polling agent at Dadease,enroute Kumawu, and I suggest that the elders invite all polling station coordinators for special education before the set date The coordinators in turn are to go and educate their people;as to how to conduct themselves at the centred chosen.Thus observing social a distancing ,and grouping themselves according to polling station.Each polling agent under the guidance of security personnel should leave the centre(school premises) preferably, a fenced school. Only coordinators ,chosen party people and candidates should be aloud to stay.This would help us hold our primaries without any unwanted drama.On handpicking
a candidate ,it will be a recipe for chaos and disunity. The earlier we do this the better,it will be for our candidates to be made known,for the upcoming elections.