All 46 aspirants seeking various leadership positions in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Bono East Regional executive elections have successfully passed vetting, clearing the way for the party’s regional polls scheduled for November this year.
The aspirants, who had earlier submitted their nominations online, completed the in-person filing and vetting process on Wednesday. The exercise was overseen by the Vetting Committee, chaired by Nuru Hamidan, who also serves as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of STC.
No one disqualified
Speaking to Joy News after the exercise, Mr Hamidan said the process had been smooth and transparent, with all aspirants deemed qualified to contest.
“The nomination exercise was peaceful. All 46 aspirants recorded on the committee’s dashboard completed the in-person filing process and went through the vetting successfully. They were deemed qualified, and no one was disqualified,” Mr Hamidan said.
He added that the committee had encountered no challenges during the exercise and expressed hope that the aspirants would comply with the party’s electoral guidelines to ensure a peaceful election in November.
“I hope that the aspirants will comply with the party’s electoral guidelines to ensure the election is peaceful,” he said.
Aspirants express confidence
With vetting complete, the aspirants are turning their attention to the campaign trail. One of the key contenders is the incumbent Regional Treasurer, Gapson Raphael Kofi, who is seeking to become Regional Secretary.
Mr Kofi expressed confidence in his chances of winning, citing his track record of integrity and truthfulness.
“My track record as someone with integrity and truthfulness puts me in a strong position to be elected as the party’s Regional Secretary,” he said.
Outgoing secretary praises party’s decision
The outgoing Regional Secretary, Adaebsa Isaac, who currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the GRATIS Foundation, is not seeking re-election.
He commended the party’s decision to exempt current executives occupying government positions from contesting.
According to him, the move would create opportunities to groom new leaders and allow party members who are not in government to dedicate more time to party activities.
“Those occupying government positions currently are too busy to do the party’s work, and as a result, the party structure is getting weak,” Mr Isaac said.
“There’s a need to groom others and pave the way for people who are not in government and have time to work for the party.”
Call for clean campaigns
The incumbent Regional Communications Officer, Sulemana Mohammed Mustapha, has urged delegates to ensure that the campaign is free from insults and personal attacks.
He called on delegates to vote against aspirants who engage in such behaviour.
“There’s a need for the delegates to stage clean campaigns devoid of insults. I urge delegates to punish such individuals by voting against them on election day,” Mr Mustapha said.
He added that his communication experience and expertise were what the party needed to communicate the government’s policies effectively and retain power in 2028.
What’s next?
The NDC Bono East Regional executive elections will be held in Techiman in November this year.
With all 46 aspirants cleared to contest, the party is preparing for an internal election that will shape its regional leadership ahead of the next general election.