The aggrieved delegates are demanding that the disqualified aspirants be made to contest in the primaries
By Mudasiru Abdul Yakeen, Akropong
Some delegates of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akuapem North constituency of the Eastern Region on Wednesday embarked on a peaceful protest to call on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to rescind the decision of the National Parliamentary Vetting Committee (NPVC), Eastern Region, from disqualifying two aspiring parliamentary candidates in the constituency.
The two, Philip Addison, lead counsel of the party in the 2012 election petition, and William Adjei Twumasi, a bursar at the Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong, were disqualified by the NPVC for various reasons, including “not nurturing the party in the constituency”.
Clad in red and black, the protesters walked through the principal streets of Akropong with placards, some of which read: “No unopposed,” “No contest no vote,” “incumbent MP unpopular,” among others.
They said the two have contributed immensely to the growth of the party in the constituency and, therefore, rejected the claims that they have not nurtured the party in the constituency.
Petition
In a petition to the party’s NEC, the protestors called for the two aspirants to be allowed to take part in the primaries for the delegates to choose who is best to represent them.
Leader of the demonstrators, Dr Eric Danquah, speaking to the Evening Mail after the protest, said the decision by the NPVC to disqualify the two is dangerous for the party, hence their call for it to be rescinded.
He served notice that they would be left with little or no option than not to work for the party in the 2020 general elections, if their petition is not considered by the party.
“We shall only be available to work hard for the party only if there is a fair contest.
The incumbent MP has become unpopular within the party and among the electorate at large, and it would be suicidal for the NPP to impose her on the constituency.
“Apart from the fact that it is undemocratic, our fortunes in the upcoming national election are going to suffer a huge deficit, with the incumbent MP going unopposed and becoming a candidate for the general election. As we speak, there is friction among the constituents who are members of our party and it would take the reinstatement of the two to contest the primaries to bring calm,” Dr Danquah said.
