Outgoing NPP Deputy Secretary for Klottey Korle, Lawyer Faisal Ibrahim Cisse, says he remains hopeful that the party’s Greater Accra Regional Executive will grant his appeal and allow him to be vetted for the constituency chairmanship race this July.
Cisse returned to Accra from Switzerland on Monday and addressed the controversy surrounding his exclusion from the vetting process for the NPP Klottey Korle Constituency Chairmanship position.
The issue stems from the cancellation of an online vetting arrangement, following a directive from NPP General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua. Cisse claims the directive contradicted an earlier agreement he had with the vetting committee before traveling for his graduation.
“Agreement Was for Online Vetting”
“I know a lot of people have heard that I couldn’t go through the vetting process because the vetting committee said that I did not attend the vetting physically,” Cisse told reporters Tuesday.
“But, before the committee was formed, I made them know that I had a graduation on Monday in Switzerland, and so, they agreed to have the vetting online. But later on, some changes were made, and JFK, Justin Frimpong Kodua, said that the vetting should not be done online, and so that’s what made them change it.”
He confirmed that he has formally petitioned the Regional Appeals Committee. “I have written my appeal and I pray that the Regional Appeals Committee will grant me the opportunity to explain the issue,” he said.
Disquiet Among Klottey Korle Delegates
News of Cisse’s possible disqualification from the constituency election scheduled for later this month has sparked discontent among party members. Multiple polling station executives and NPP sympathizers in Klottey Korle have expressed dissatisfaction and anger over the development.
Delegates argue that Cisse had been transparent about his travel plans and secured prior approval for virtual vetting. The last-minute reversal by the party’s national secretariat is being viewed by some as unfair, especially since the candidate was representing Ghana abroad at an academic event.
The NPP Greater Accra Regional Executive is yet to issue an official response to Cisse’s appeal. Party rules require all aspirants to be vetted before contesting internal elections, but the rules do not explicitly ban virtual vetting.
Cisse’s fate now rests with the Regional Appeals Committee. If granted a hearing, he would need to convince the body that the initial agreement with the local vetting panel should stand, despite the General Secretary’s subsequent directive.
The Klottey Korle NPP constituency election is one of several hotly contested internal races ahead of the party’s broader reorganization efforts post-2024 general elections.
