Master Dennis Appiah-Larbi Ampofo has been elected as the 57th President of the National Union of Ghana Students. He was elected during the annual residential Congress of the Union at Ejisu-Abankro in the Ashanti Region.
The election, which took place on Saturday, April 2, 2022, saw delegates from member institutions casting their vote to elect new leaders to man the affairs of the Union.
Dennis Appiah-Larbi polled 824 votes ahead of his closest contender Kwesi Atuahene who garnered 201 votes. Charles Oppong placed 3rd with 33 votes.
Below are the provisional results.
President
- Oppong Charles – 33 votes = 3.13%
- Kwesi Atuahene – 197 votes = 18.69%
- Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo – 824 votes = 78.18%
General Secretary
- Aziz Azaana Imoro – 82 votes = 9.45%
- Joshua Opey – 562 votes = 64.75%
- Francess Gifty Ennin – 224 votes = 25.80%
Secretary For Finance
- Derrick Kofi Sarpong – 417 votes = 41.61%
- Francisca Lynn Willis – 585 votes 58.38%
Secretary For Education
- Ransford Tege – 452 votes = 52.44%
- Asare Bediako – 410 votes = 47.56%
Secretary For Women Development
Jesisca Twumasi
YES – 847 votes (99.64%)
NO – 3 votes (0.362)
Secretary For Innovation, Entrepreneurship And Skills Development
Amin Mohammed
YES – 797 votes (97.31%)
NO – 22 votes (2. 69%)
Secretary For Societies And Welfare
- Badu Kwarteng Kwadwo – 579 votes (65.57%)
- Emmanuel Wesom Achio- 304 votes (34.43%)
Secretary For Union Development
Issah Ahmed –
YES = 782 – 96.19%
NO = 31 – 3.81%
Secretary For International Relations
- Sillim Philemon Kpiirka = 89 (9.12%)
- Oppong Kyekyeku Alex = 500 (51.32%)
- Justice Alexander = 262 votes (26.84%)
- Paula Nuwordu = 125 votes (12.81%)
Allegations of violations and electoral malpractices
The General Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Julius Kwame Anthony, has said that the Union’s national executive elections, which took place during its 56th Annual Congress at the GNAT Village in Ejisu Abankrom, have been marred by malpractices.
According to him, based on the infractions that have characterised the process, the outcome cannot be deemed credible.
The assertion by the NUGS General Secretary was in reaction to earlier reports on social media that alleged electoral irregularities and political schemes.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Saturday, Mr. Anthony affirmed the reports on social media, adding that the turn of events scandalised him as the Secretary of the Union.
In his submissions, he explained that it is his responsibility to collate the Voters Register for elections at the Union’s Annual Congress based on the NUGS Constitution. But according to him, some of his colleague executive members took up that role and generated a register without his knowledge.
This, Mr. Anthony said, was part of a deliberate plot to favour one of the presidential aspirants in the elections, Mr. Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo.
“The Constitution is clear on how elections are supposed to be conducted and who hands over members in good standing to Congress, and for that matter, those members are recognised to vote in the election. As we speak, the elections today, the Voters Register or the list of members that was used was just conjured from somewhere.
I am the General Secretary; I am responsible for compiling the list, which is supposed to be countersigned by the President. So I sign, and he countersigns, and it’s handed over to the EC. Today, the Electoral Commission somehow had the membership roll from aspirants. The Financial Secretary is supposed to clear members in good standing. Which means they’re supposed to pay their dues and all that.
But he told me that he could not give me some of the members who have paid their dues because Mr. Dennis Larbi Appiah has submitted a list of delegates directly to the Electoral Commissioner. A candidate for the election is the one who is clearing members in good standing and submitting them directly to the Electoral Commission. And those people are not even students”, he said.
While on the Congress grounds, Julius Anthony further alleged that Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo, then bused unknown individuals to the Congress grounds to vote as students from schools that had not even been verified as institutions in good standing.
“Which election is done where people don’t know the total number of people on the voter roll? The ECs would not even give us that. The agents of candidates were asked to sit at a very far distance. The NUGS Facebook handle has put out the arrangement over there, and the election was held in a tent out of public view.
Only those who enter and drop the ballot can see it. It’s so appalling, and sincerely the outcome of this election cannot be accepted as a reflection of the will of students of this country. It cannot be accepted. The process was flawed from day one”, he stressed.
In expressing his grievances over the process, Julius Anthony further disclosed that as part of the manipulations, some candidates were deliberately disqualified by the Vetting Committee a night before the elections to prevent them from seeking appropriate legal redress.
But responding to these concerns, the President of the Union, Emmanuel Boakye Yiadom, dismissed the claims by the Union’s General Secretary, Julius Kwame Anthony. Speaking to MyJoyOnline.com, he stated that the Congress has been smooth and devoid of any electoral malfeasances, as alleged by Mr. Anthony.
Contrary to the suggestions by the NUGS Secretary, the President, Mr. Yiadom, said the Union is not divided, adding that he is surprised about the posture and comments of Julius Kwame Anthony.
