At the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, the Acting National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Danquah Smith Buttey, explained why the party’s National Delegates Conference had not yet begun voting. The delay, he said, was due to the late arrival of a significant portion of the 7,163 delegates expected to take part in the exercise.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Buttey said the conference would only commence once the required number of delegates had reached the venue. "We are waiting for the delegates. They are not here. So, if 1/3 of them comes then we start," he said.
When pressed for a more specific reason, the Acting National Chairman admitted he could not give a definitive answer, noting that the delegates were still scattered at various locations. "I don't know. They are there at their various places," he replied.
Mr Buttey was also asked about allegations that some candidates were still engaging delegates on the day of the election, potentially contributing to the delay. He dismissed the suggestion as unusual, stating that such engagements had been a feature of the party’s internal elections for years. "It has always been so. This is not new," he said.
The conference, which includes the consideration of proposed constitutional amendments, is being held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and will follow with the election of the party’s national officers. The NPP has said it will resume voting once the necessary quorum of delegates is achieved.
Observers say the delay could affect the timetable for the party’s upcoming national elections, as the conference is a key step in selecting candidates and setting policy directions. The NPP has not yet announced a new date for the commencement of voting, but delegates are expected to arrive in the coming hours.
