‘Tenant’ Boots Out ‘Landlady’

…At Okaikoi North NPP Primaries, As Delegates Cash Out  

By Gifty Arthur

A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, has tactfully done what many politicians fear to do when it comes to parliamentary election.

The deputy minister, while serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Akuapem North constituency, abandoned the seat to go to a different area where she successfully won the Okaikoi North primary last Saturday, December 2.

She beat off stiff competition from six aspirants, including a former Member of Parliament (MP) of the area, Issah Fuseini, the managing editor of Daily Searchlight, Kenneth Agyei Kuranchie, and the former deputy boss of Microfinance and Small Loan Centre (MASLOC).

Her main challenger, Madam Afia Akoto, who, prior to the race, proclaimed herself as the ‘Landlady’ of Okaikoi North, with the magic wand, could not match her supposed tenant when the results were declared.

She garnered some 341 out of the 850 votes, while her closest contender, Alberta Afia Asomaniwa Akoto, alias Maame Afia Akoto, polled 228.

It is unclear, if this has ever happened in Ghana’s history, but, in recent history, this appears to be the first time a serving MP has won a party’s primaries in another constituency and region.

The two ladies were followed by Fuseini Issah, the former MP for the area, who polled 114, while one Nyarko Stephen Adipa garnered 108 votes. Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie also polled 27, while Prince Owusu Mensah managed only six votes.

The former Deputy Information Minister, ahead of the NPP primaries in the Okaikoi North constituency, was described as “temporary citizen” or “tenant.” Her opponents even said she had no permanent address in the constituency.

But the wife of the former secretary of the defunct Inter Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining (IMCIA), despite the name calling, has snatched the slot from the five others who comparably are known in the constituency more.

The Anchor has observed, the last time someone was successful at coming from one constituency to another, was when another party member who was recently expelled from the party tried his luck at the Madina constituency in the Greater Accra Region, after serving as MP for the Salaga constituency seat in the Northern Region. It must however be indicated that Boniface Sadique Abubakar did this at different elections.

Her win, perhaps, one of the shocking outcomes, during last week’s election, is one that has silenced her opponents.

Recall that her decision to abandon her current constituency to join the Okaikoi North constituency race, following the emergence of the boss of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) Sammi Awuku in the Akuapem North constituency contest, was one that was met with shock.

She faced fierce challenge from contenders, especially Afia Akoto, who, together with her supporters, threw a lot of mud at her, claiming she was a “temporary citizen” or “tenant” to the constituency.

Her supporters and followers led the attack, saying “Sometyms in selecting parliamentary candidates and MPs, its good u vote for people who have had a long stint in the constituency, who know and understand the plight of the people (esp. party folks), one who has a permanent address, one who rain or shine, is easily accessible. You vote for “temporal citizen” n then later complain of not seeing them. One of the many reasons I support Afia Akoto The landlady of OKAIKOI NORTH VOTE RIGHT VOTE FOR ONE U CAN EASILY REACH OUT and she is available. NYAME BEYE.”

Shock

Afia Akoto could not come to terms with the fact that the MP had picked the Okaikoi North constituency of all places to contest for election, while still sitting as MP for another constituency in another region.

Though she refrained from mentioning her name, the former MASLOC deputy boss argued that she was the one who understood the dynamics of the constituency, was very accessible and subtly cautioned against the delegates voting for Dokua.

Dokua, on the other hand, did not talk much, except to throw her own salvos in coded language at the early stages of the contest on social media posts.

She had posted that she is not cut out to fight people who bleach their skin and so will focus on her campaign.

“I am not an SM fan for nothing because I really know my level. I pick battles and those battles I pick certainly can’t include “peauclaire” battles. Sorry find your mate,” she fired in a post in August, this year.

It was unclear at the time who the subtle jab was fired at, but The Anchor’s monitoring of the situation showed many linked the attack to Ms. Akoto.

While the two continued to dirty each other, the two gentlemen, who had contested each other in 2015 and 2019 primaries of the party, sat on the fence, watching.

Not much was heard from them, except the former MP, who, per the fact that he comes in the media as a communicator of the party once in a while, expressed confidence he was going to win the seat again as parliamentary candidate, but called for a fair contest.

Indeed, on Saturday, supporters of Mr.Fuseini alleged the deputy minister had bussed some unknown persons from the Akuapem North constituency to vote for her. He was captured in videos trumpeting this claim, but after counting, Dokua emerged the winner.

She has during her campaign assured she was going to do her best to serve the two constituencies in the best way she can.

Meanwhile, her husband, Charles Bissue, is eying the Essikado Ketan constituency in the Western Region.

Source: http://Anchorghana.com