LIST: See all the candidates for the Ghana Olympic Committee elections

1d ago | Source: Graphic Online

See all the candidates for the Ghana Olympic Committee elections

Kweku Zurek Sports News Apr - 21 - 2025 , 09:57 4 minutes read

The race for leadership within Ghana’s Olympic movement is heating up, as the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) prepares to host its highly anticipated elective congress on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Over 20 candidates are set to contest various positions, with stakes high for the next four-year term of the committee's executive board.

At the heart of the elections is a closely watched presidential battle between two respected figures in Ghanaian sports: Richard Kofi Akpokavie, a seasoned sports administrator and former captain of the national hockey team, and Michael Odum Aggrey, the immediate past President of the Ghana Golf Association. Both men have mounted energetic campaigns, appealing to delegates with promises of progress, inclusion, and international competitiveness.

In a field where experience appears to dominate, some candidates have already crossed the finish line unopposed. According to Article 14(a) of the GOC election guidelines, “Where at the close of nomination for election to the Board of GOC; only one candidate is nominated for a position, the candidate shall be declared elected.” As a result, Mr. Mawuko Afadzinu (1st Vice President), Mr. Frederick Lartey Otu (2nd Vice President), Mr. Bawa Fuseini (Deputy Secretary-General), and Mr. Samuel Tetteh Ayer (Representative of Affiliated Bodies) have all secured their respective positions uncontested and now await formal swearing-in.

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Outgoing GOC President, Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah, whose term officially concludes at the congress, has urged delegates to consider merit above all else. Speaking at an extraordinary congress last weekend, he advised, “Vote for individuals based on their credibility, integrity, selflessness as well as their records and achievements. That is the only way the good brand of the GOC will be preserved and strengthened.”

Other highly contested positions include the Secretary-General slot, where Mohammed Baadae Sahnoon faces off with Mohammed Muniru Kassim, and the 3rd Vice President role, where Ernest Danso will battle Mohammed Mahadi.

In the Treasurer race, Evans Yeboah and Isaac Aboagye Duah are vying for the financial reins of the GOC, while the Assistant Treasurer role has drawn three contenders—Bernard Quartey, Edward Patrick Nii Lante Bannerman, and Aurora Commodore-Toppar.

Candidates will also compete for seats as Representatives of Olympic Sports, with five slots available among a pool of eight aspirants, including George Lamptey, Delphina Quaye, Prosper Harrison Addo, and others. The non-Olympic Sports Representative will be chosen between Abdul Hayye Yartey and George Owusu Ansah.

For the three additional membership positions to be elected by Congress, eight candidates are in the running: Emmanuel Djani Nikoi, Emmanuel Owusu Ansah-Asare, Michael Ntow Ayeh, Nathaniel Johnson, Edwin Amankwah, Rafatu Inusah, Philip Elikem Ameku, and Leonard K. Okyere.

As the GOC election day nears, all eyes remain on the delegates, who will have the final say on the individuals they believe can elevate Ghana’s Olympic dreams on the continental and global stage.

Here is a list of all the candidates and the positions they are contesting in the upcoming Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) elections on Saturday, April 26, 2025: