Battle Lines Drawn For Sitting NPP MPs
…Annoh-Dompreh, Adwoa Safo, Freda Prempeh,Others In Tight Corner
Some incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentarians appear to be in a very tight corner, and, in about a month’s time, will be having a contest of their lives to retain their seats, after the party yesterday opened nomination for the parliamentary primaries.
Nominations are expected to close on Christmas Day, December 25, 2023, with the conduct of the election slated for January 27, 2024.
But ahead of the election, The Anchor is learning certain Members of Parliament (MPs)are facing stiff opposition from some new entrants, who have declared their interest for a face-off.
The MPs include the Dome-Kwabenya, Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Asante Akim Central, Bantama and Tano North, represented by Sarah Adwoa Safo, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, Asenso Boakye and Freda Akosua Oheneafrewo Prempeh, respectively.
Others are Sylvester Tetteh of Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro; Mavis Hawa Koomson, Awutu Senya East MP; Alfred Obeng Boateng, Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai MP, and Andrew Asiamah Amoako,MP for Fomena, who stood as an independent candidate in the 2020 election and won among a host of others.
These sitting MPs, who are serving various terms in office, have peculiar issues for being contested against by the new entrants.
Adwoa Safo
In the case of the Dome-Kwabenya constituency in the Greater Accra Region, where the governing party has always won convincingly, this paper’s sources say the incumbent is about to witness the hottest contest of her life.
The former Deputy Majority Leader and removed Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection will be battling it out with another heavyweight, Mike Oquaye, Jnr., who is a son of former Speaker of Parliament.
Mr.Oquaye,Jnr.,contested Ms Adwoa Safo in the previous primary four years ago. In that election, the now Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), narrowly lost by just 8votes.
Annoh-Dompreh
In the case of the Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituency, the Majority Chief Whip is facing opposition from the CEO of the Ghana Library Authority, Hayford Siaw. It appears, this is the first time the former student leader is facing a formidable opponent in the person of the relatively young 37-year-old.
For the embattled MP,a few days ago, some chiefs in the constituency, in a presser, impressed upon the party to allow him to contest the primary unopposed.
The chief of Okobeyeyie, Nana OpareOdei II, who addressed the press on his colleagues’ behalf, said AnnohDompreh has exceeded the expectations of all his constituents and won the admiration of the traditional leaders in the constituency, through his developmental projects.
“Nsawam Adoagyiri is already on the path of progress under his leadership. We need him to focus his mind on what he is already doing without having to leave government business and others to run around in the name of campaigning for primaries,” the chiefs stressed.
But some polling station executives in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituency have warned the party will lose the seat if the incumbent MPis made to run unopposed in the party’s primary.
The group, calling itself “Delegates Against Unopposed,” say moves by the MP and some party officials to bend the rules by proposing an extraordinary congress to acclaim him as the sole contender are undemocratic.
According to them, the MP and his assigns’ claim of receiving a request from about 400 polling station executives and area coordinators to organize the extraordinary congress is a scheme to frustrate other equally qualified aspirants from challenging him.
The polling station youth organizer for R/C Girls ‘B’, Adarkwa Abraham Asamoah, who addressed the press at Nsawam, urged the regional executive committee of the party to disregard the supposed request from party executives as the same cannot be authenticated.
Asante Akyem Central
Until now, the MP for the Asante Akyem Central, Kwame AnyimaduAntwi, was not known to be an MP who is fiercely contested, neither is he known to be a target.
But now due to his stance on the anti-LGBT bill, the situation has changed.
His recent utterances against the lead sponsor of the bill, Sam Nartey George, and subsequent commentaries have angered the executive secretary for the National Coalition of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, Moses Foh-Amoaning.
He has warned the chairman of the Legal and Constitutional Parliamentary Affairs Committee of his impending fall. According to the lawyer, his colleague law practitioner will face the consequences of his utterances.
“Trust me, Anyimadu will pay the price for the position he has adopted,” he said.
Mr. Foh-Amoaning’s outburst follows the criticism by Sam George for the inability of the chairman to lay the bill for consideration. Mr.Anyimadu, who was out of the Chamber at the time, later claimed the bill in its current form was problematic and so needed to be looked at, warning “any attempt to politicize the bill will only get it not passed.”
The Asante Akyem Central MP said he could also not be sabotaged for speaking the truth, and if that happens, he will be forced to also organize his constituents for support.
But Mr.Foh-Amoaning said the NPP, which campaigned with a slogan “The Battle is the Lord’s,” should have been the one ensuring the bill is passed.
BantamaRace
Also, in the Bantama constituency in the Ashanti Region, first-time lawmaker, Francis Asenso Boakye, is expected to face proper showdown with a brother of failed presidential aspirant of the party, Ken Ohene Agyapong.
The Assin Central MP’s brother, Raphael Agyapong, has reportedly picked forms to contest the Minister for Works and Housing. The Agyapongs are apparently targeting some NPP MPs who opposed the candidature of the businessman-cum-politician in the November 4 presidential election.
Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwa Seat
They appear to be pushing the same agenda in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwa against Mr. Boateng.
The former BOST Managing Director (MD) was a close associate of Mr. Agyapong, but they fell out during the primaries after the first-time law maker, allegedly advised party delegates against voting for the latter.
Ken, who disclosed this in an interview on Starr FM, has vowed not to forgive his colleague, and it is anticipated that, he may sponsor a candidate to unseat him.
Awutu Senya East
The same fate is likely to fall on the MP for the Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who unleashed venom on her colleague MP during the presidential primaries. It is not clear who is going to be sponsored to contest the 57-year old.
Tano North
In the Tano North constituency where Freda Akosua Oheneafrewo Prempeh is serving her third term, the 57-year old is expected to be given a good run for her money by the spokesperson for the vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Dr. Gideon Boako is doing everything to unseat the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, after declaring his intention to contest a while ago. Earlier this year, Madam Prempeh had reason to complain about the removal of names of some polling station executives said to be sympathetic to her.
She was speculated to be with the Alan Kyerematen camp, the reason her supporters were removed from the Party Album, but she denied such linkage.
Others including Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro’s Sylvester Tetteh, an Alan Kyerematen protégé, Kennedy Osei Nyarko of the Akim Swedru, whose main contender is the Controller and Accountant General Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, have also picked forms.
Source: Anchorghana.com
