The List of Candidates
There was much eagerness in political campaigns in the Ashanti Region over the weekend, with some candidates pushing just a little harder, as polling day for the Council of State election draws near.
The Ashanti Regional poll, which is slated for Thursday, February 16, 2017 at the Conference Room of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), has 17 candidates gunning for the one slot.
Among the candidates are traditional rulers, teachers, businessmen, an agriculturalist and a journalist who yesterday went through the briefing exercise at the regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC) to be educated about the process of the election before they finally face the 60 delegates who are expected to elect one person to represent the region.
The aspirants are Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, 63-year-old registered professional nurse and chief of Akrofoso; Baafour Ossei Hyeaman Brentuo VI, a 63-year-old medical practitioner and Maawerehene of the Asantehene; Sampson Amofa-Kra, 69, educationist; Wilberforce Nana Kwame Obeng, 39, media consultant; Clinton Awuni Eshun, 30, businessman and Dr Ekow Akyeampong, 65, agriculturalist.
Others are Robert Owusu Amankwah, 71, business executive and former Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman; Alex Asare, 35, journalist; Prince Nicholas Nkrumah, 51, quantity surveyor; Nana Kusi-Obodum, 81; Francis Kwaw Archer, 68; Dennis Kwakwa; Michael Afreh-Gyimah, 55 and Yaw Boadi Appiah, 49, are all educationists.
The rest are Mubashir Iddrisu, 31, secretary; William Grant, 67, electrician and Abraham Boadi, 42-year-old trader.
With just a day until the 60-member electoral college of the region vote, the candidates are expected to wrap up their campaigns.
EC Regional Director, Serebour Quaicoe, told DAILY GUIDE that 19 people filed their nominations, but two of them later withdrew from the race.
According to him, his outfit had received the list of delegates from all the 30 district assemblies with the exception of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the Asante-Akim North and South District Assemblies.
The EC boss said each candidate would be given some time to make a presentation to the delegates on the day of poll as the final opportunity for them to make a case for their electability.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi