Failed MP Aspirant Drags NDC Chairman To Nogokpo Shrine
…As Anya-Sowutuom‘Ey3 zu, Ey3 za’ Boils Over Alleged Extortion
A disappointed parliamentary aspirant of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the Anya-Sowutuom constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has resorted to the dreaded Nogokpo shrine in the Volta Region to seek justice, after she was hoodwinked to pay some monies to secure her victory.
Madam Janet Keturah Naa Ashong, who contested the party’s just-ended primaries, alleged that she was asked to pay money to the constituency chairman, Kwesi Arhin, coordinators and others at the constituency level, to apparently facilitate her massive win.
On the D-Day of primaries, she was said to have paid about GH₵20, 000, but prior to that she had allegedly paid some monies to the chairman for different reasons.
She indicated that the constituency chairman had assured her he was an honest man and, therefore, he will do as promised.
But after the results were announced, Madam Keturah did not win as promised by the chairman, but rather one Emmanuel Adotey Allotey, who emerged the victor to represent the party in the 2024 parliamentary election.
After her defeat, she threatened she will not let this injustice by the chairman go unchecked, especially when, in the past, others had suffered same fate from him.
She and one other failed aspirant, by name Amadu Babagida, who is alleged to have won the chairman to his side after offering him a car and cash but did not also win, have declared their bids to contest the 2024 election as independent candidates.
Their posters have flooded the constituency, which appears to be a safe seat for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Angry Keturah Naa Ashong told The Anchor, yesterday, “After the election, he called my driver to come for my money and I told the driver not to, but I will go to Nogokpo for my money. And I am ready for this thing. Nothing is going to change my mind. And I won’t forgive him. I gave the money to the chairman and the chairman said go and give this coordinator this money, go and give this coordinator this money.”
Interestingly, this paper gathered that this threat has been carried through because she has visited the controversial shrine, located in the Volta Region.
According to sources within the constituency, Keturah confirmed her return from the shrine on some NDC WhatsApp platforms, through audio recordings.
Keturah is peeved that her money was taken, but she did not win the election, held on May 13, 2023 that saw Adotey Allotey emerge winner.
When The Anchor contacted her, she confirmed the fact that she paid the said money to the chairman and same to coordinators, but, as evidently shown in that election, she did not win.
On May 28, 2023 when The Anchor called her, Keturah confirmed she was on her way to the shrine, indicating “I will not forgive him.”
According to her, her case was not the first against the constituency chairman, who is known for taking money from aspirants, and that Mr. Arhin has been selling the votes to the highest bidder.
But in spite of his assurances to her, he ended up doing what others have several times accused him of, she said.
“I know what they have been doing. I told him that I don’t want him to do that thing to me. He has been selling our votes and he promised not to do that to me, that is why I gave him money because I know what they have been doing. I have been hearing from people, people have been going to Oheneba [Power FM presenter] so I told him that chairman, make sure you don’t do that thing to me. Then he said, oh oh Keturah, trust me, trust me I am a good person, don’t listen to them, they just want to sabotage me. I said okay,” she said on phone.
Yet few hours to the election, Keturah said, Mr. Arhin called her to inform her ahead that the election could be won by any of the candidates. Saying she was shocked by this development, she alleged that this happened because Mr. Arhin had taken a car and money from Babagida, who also lost.
He has since returned the said car after the aspirant came second in the election, she stated.
Keturah went on: “After collecting that money, four hours to the election, my constituency chairman called me around 2am. Keturah hmmm, I am seeing the election to be an ’open election.’ I asked him how, are you the EC? Are you the one going to vote? You have only one vote, so how did you know that everybody can win?”
She added, “Not knowing, our constituency chairman has gone for air-conditioned car with money from one aspirant, so he was personally going around, telling the coordinators to channel their votes to that aspirant. So they asked him why see the way Keturah is working, this girl can help us. Let’s go for her. No, no vote for Babagida, but God being so good, at the end he thought Babagida was going to win the election, but he didn’t win. He but split his vote and so another person won.”
She continued, “Even to the extent that at a point I didn’t want to do it because those expenses were not budgeted for, but because I didn’t want him to play his dirty game, because people have been saying it, but I had not seen it and so I had it in mind and didn’t want to suffer that injustice, so anything he told me I did. Then few hours to the election you telling people that they should not vote for me. I am traveling to Nogokpo. I am serious, I am not joking. I won’t lie to you.”
Keturah, who, ahead of the election, presented items to the party in a form of Personal Address System, cash, mega phones, tables, chairs and freezers among others, reasoned that “you can spend more than 10 billion and still lose the election.”
“I didn’t give him money to bribe him, he was the one telling me to go and give this to the coordinators, go and give this person money and I said chairman, why? Do this, do this that will let you win the election. I said okay, if you say so, then I will do it. I didn’t bribe him,” she maintained.
Efforts to reach Babagida and Mr. Arhin for their side of the allegations proved unsuccessful.
More soon!
Source: Anchorghana.com
