Defeated NPP MPs stand accused
The passage of the Constitutional Instrument (CI) 78 into law, and the subsequent creation of 45 additional seats in Parliament, seems to be creating serious trouble for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members of parliament who lost the previous primaries.
The affected MPs are being accused of eyeing the new parliamentary seats, and did not, therefore, put in their maximum efforts to support the leadership of the minority to stop the CI 78 from becoming law.
The Chronicle has gathered that this accusation was being used as campaign message against the Member of Parliament for Okaikwei North, Mrs. Elizabert Sackey, as the party goes to the polls on Sunday to elect its parliamentary candidate for the new constituency.
The lady MP contested the Okaikwei North NPP primary and lost to Patrick Boamah, before the constituency was split into Okaikwei North and Central, following the coming into being of the CI 78.
Patrick Boamah, who won the previous primary, has decided to contest on the ticket of NPP for Okaikwei Central, paving the way for the struggle for the North seat.
“We were all here when the party indicated its position on the creation of new constituencies, but these defeated MPs, because they have an interest in the seats, ignored to whip party MPs to come to Parliament to make sure that the report to annul the CI 78 went through.
“They have woefully failed the party’s cause, due to their personal gains, and on that score, we shall not allow them to represent us again,” a delegate told this reporter.
It will be recalled that though the Minority in Parliament advocated the rejection of the CI 78, they failed to garner more votes to annul it.
Most NDC MPs were present and voted in favor of the new CI, and this is what has angered followers of the opposition party.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Fuseini Issah, who is also contesting the Okaikwei North primary on Sunday, urged the delegates to vote massively for him to retain the constituency for the party.
He said a vote for him at the congress on Sunday would definitely guarantee a resounding victory for the NPP.
Alhaji Fuseini Issah, an investment banker and a role model for the youth in the constituency in the Greater Accra Region, saw no party as a threat to him.
He promised to stretch the margin between him and his main NDC opponent to annex the seat for the party.
According to him, as a youth who has been privileged to have education and has attained his current status as an investment banker, education would be pivotal on his agenda.
To him, he was not surprised that the major policy of the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, was free and quality education for Ghanaians.
“As a role model for the youth in the constituency, I will do my best to help bring education to the doorsteps of everybody within my territory, in conformity with the party’s policy and programmes,” he said.
He added, “Apart from my dream of helping people get access to free and quality education, I will also bring investment products, especially micro-finance businesses, to make it affordable to all and sundry. It is my hope to raise the standard of my people, and to make sure that the youth move to another level, as far as education is concerned.”
According to him, immediately he is declared winner at the primary, he would move from house to house to galvanise more votes for the NPP, stressing, “Already my presence on the scene has started attracting more votes from the NDC and other political parties. They see me as the one who can deliver, not only the parliamentary victory, but also the general elections. I have what it takes to drive home a big victory for our great NPP,” he said.
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