Mr Darfour (second from right) presents the items to the leadership of the Muslim community
There is some confusion in the Nkawkaw constituency of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) following the endorsement of the candidature of the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Eric Kwakye Darfour, ahead of the NPP’s parliamentary primaries in constituencies with sitting MPs.
Various statements have been flying in from different angles declaring support for the MP or otherwise. Last month, some 13 constituency executives of the party threw their weight behind Mr Darfour, who is also the Eastern Regional Minister, for his third term bid. The 13, in a statement, said the decision was taken in a “broader consultation with the constituents within and outside our political tradition”.
“Our reason is premised on his focus, excellent and mature leadership being exhibited at the constituency and in the region, as the representative of H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana. We firmly believe and same is true for the overwhelming majority in the constituency that the massive infrastructural projects that have started since 2017 under his stewardship require uninterrupted continuation and consolidation to transform completely the deficit we have lived with all these years,” they said.
No imposition of MP
However, members of another group, known as “Concerned NPP Members in the Nkawkaw constituency”, have asked the leadership of the party in the constituency not to “impose” the MP on the electorate. Their statement follows the decision of the 13 party executives to declare their support for Mr Darfour.
A statement signed by Owusu Ansah, chairman of the group, said any decision to impose Mr Daffour on the electorate will be “disastrous”.
They described the decision by the constituency executives as “a clear misconduct” which calls for sanctions.
Reaction
However, even before the ink on their statement would dry, another group, “Grassroots Communicators for NPP, Kwahu Bloc”, have also declared support for the MP. The group, in a statement jointly signed by about 17 delegates in the Nkawkaw constituency, said their decision “emanates from the remarkable electoral reforms he has facilitated at Nkawkaw Constituency since our crisis in 2008 and the massive effective votes garnered thus far.”
“He took the parliamentary results from 39.5% in 2008 to an appealing 68.9% in 2012 and then a striking 73.48% in the 2016 general elections through which the NPP won and came back to power,” they said.
They have, therefore, entreated members of the constituency electoral college to join hands and “jealously safeguard the seat for the incumbent MP in our quest to develop Nkawkaw Constituency and increasing the electoral fortunes of the party.”
Donation for Ramadan fast
In a related development, the MP has presented some items to the Muslim communities in the area. The items, which are to be shared among the Muslim communities to support them in their Ramadan fast, include 100 bags of sugar, 50 boxes of Lipton and 50 cartons of milk among others.
The Kwahu West Municipal Chief Imam, Mallam Ismaila Ahmed, who received the items, thanked and prayed for the MP and the NPP government.
