The National Executive Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is to meet on Friday, January 22, to consider, among others, challenges confronting the party’s impending national delegates conference. Nana Ohene Ntow, General Secretary, gave strong indications that a new date for the congress could be on the cards when he spoke on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sεn programme on Thursday and said that the party was still awaiting the completion of the Ashanti Regional conference to round up pre-conference activities. The NPP planned to hold its national delegates conference on February 6, 2010, after postponing it from December 19, 2009 and January 29, 2010. However, according to Nana Ohene Ntow, the party’s constitution provides that there must be at least a one-month time lapse between the last regional conference of the party and its national delegates conference. The chairman of the Asante Akim North constituency, Nana Adu Asabere, last December obtained a restraining order from the Kumasi High Court on the regional and national executives of the party from holding the regional conference, claiming in his interlocutory injunction application that certain constituencies in the region had yet to conduct their congresses and that holding the regional congress would disenfranchise some delegates. When the case was last called on Monday, January 11, the court heard that the issues complained of were still outstanding and the court therefore refused to lift the injunction. Nana Ohene Ntow, on Asempa FM, was hopeful that the outstanding Ashanti regional conference would be cleared from court by January 27, the next adjourned date, to enable the party hold the conference as soon as possible and to pave the way for the national event. The party opened nominations for national executive positions from December 21 to December 28. Positions to be contested for are National Chairperson, 1st National Vice Chairperson, 2nd National Vice-Chairperson and 3rd National Vice-Chairperson. Others are General Secretary, National Treasurer, National Organizer, National Women's Organizer and National Youth Organizer. Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Mr Felix Owusu Agyapong and Mr Stephen Ntim are contesting for the post of National Chairman while Nana Ohene Ntow, Mr Yaw Buabeng Asamoa, Mr Nkrabeah Effah Darteh and Mr Obeng Busia and vying for the General Secretary post. Among candidates for the National Organiser post are Messrs John Boadu, Isaac Edumadze and Alhaji Moctar Bamba. The party held a special delegates conference on August 22, 2009, to, among others, amend certain acts of its constitution which expanded its electoral colleges to nominate party officers, parliamentary and presidential candidates. Story by Isaac Yeboah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana