Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw and George Opare Addo have been retained as the National Women’s Organiser and National Youth Organiser respectively of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after one person sustained severe injuries when a fight broke out among some supporters at the University of Cape Coast Main Hall.
The victim was rushed to a nearby clinic for medical treatment, and later got discharged according to reports.
The melee which took the intervention of the Police to restore peace and order follows an agitation between the supporters after the process got delayed over more than ten hours when one of the youth organizer aspirants sought a court injunction over some names on the delegate’s list which he said weren’t supposed to be there.
The situation forced the leadership of the party to hold a crunch meeting with the aggrieved camp, when second confusion broke out at the conference hall.
An ensuing fight occurred which resulted in one supporter of the party sustaining some severe injuries.
At the end of the polls, George Opare Addo, popularly known as Pablo, polled 533 votes to triumph over his fiercest contender and a prodigy of former President John Mahama, Ernest Brogya Genfi who polled 508 votes.
Hannah Bissiw polled 433 votes to beat her only contender, Margaret Ansei aka Magoo, allegedly sponsored by Julius Debrah, Mahama’s chief of staff who obtained 362 votes.
Deputies
Abigail Akwabea Elorm Mensah and Felicia Dzifa Tegah who obtained 341 and 260 votes respectively were also elected as the Deputy Women’s Organisers of the Party.
Ten people contested for the Deputy Youth Organiser positions but after the close of polls, Osman Abdulai Ayariga and Ruth Dela Seddoh obtained 373 and 313 votes respectively, and are now the newly-elected deputy officers of the youth wing of the NDC.
Speeches
In his acceptance speech, Opare Addo thanked the delegates for reposing their trust in him and called for unity to successfully wrest power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the next general elections in 2024.
“Now that this election has ended there is no Brogya Genfi camp or Opare Addo camp we are all one people fighting for one goal.”
“Like I say all the time, we have just won the battle, but we have a war to fight, and so we are not going to be carried away by the battle we have won. We expect to unite, and we must bring everyone on board, so we can make John Mahama president once again. Our common enemy is the NPP, so today, we unite as the national youth of the NDC and our march is to march toward the Flagstaff House.”
Bissiw
On her part, the Women’s Organiser-elect, Hanna Bissiw called for hard work and admonished supporters to move away from personality following and work toward winning the 2024 general elections.
“This victory is a victory for women in the NDC. I want to make everyone aware that hard work pays, and it is not a crime to work hard for the party you love. As Pablo said there is one common enemy and that is the New Patriotic Party under President Akufo-Addo,” she said.
“We must go out there and win more souls to win the elections come 2024.”
The National Congress is scheduled for the Accra Sports Stadium on December, 17, 2022.
-BY Daniel Bampoe