John Boadu, General Secretary of the NPP
The General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, has allayed fears of some potential parliamentary candidates in the Ashanti Region that there are moves to protect some of the sitting Members of Parliament (MP).
Speaking at a Regional Council meeting on Friday, 24th January, 2020, Mr. Boadu stated that no such decision has been taken by the party urging members of the party to disregard such rumours. The regional council meeting was attended by regional executives, constituency chairmen and secretaries, MPs and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region. Mr. Boadu after the meeting gave out nomination forms to all the Constituency Chairmen, instructing them not to deny any member of the party who wishes to contest in the primaries access.
The party’s General Secretary is the latest to add his voice to the host of party big wigs who have denied the said rumours. Last week, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the party, Sam Pyne, made a similar call that there would be no protection for any of its MPs in the region. Speaking on a Kumasi based radio station, the NPP Secretary pointed out that the party has not made any resolution on either supporting any MP to win their primaries or to stand unopposed.
He indicated that such move would contradicts the party’s laid down rules of engagement and would, therefore, not be countenanced.
Rumours
There were rumours, recently, that the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Bosiako, popularly referred to as Wontumi, had penciled some constituencies down where there would not be parliamentary primaries. It was reported that the Chairman made the revelation at an extraordinary meeting of the party’s top regional leadership held in Kumasi.
It was recently reported, again that, the regional chairman while addressing a sod cutting ceremony for some roads in the Atwima Mponua area called on the delegates to vote for MPs with ministerial positions, a call which has angered some constituency leaders of the party. In the Offinso Constituency, party executives and some traditional authorities, held a press conference to condemn what they describe as a subtle attempt to have their MP, Ben Abdela Banda, go unopposed.
The regional chairman’s call has been rejected by party big wigs such as a founding member of the party, Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffour, Private legal Practitioner and leading member of the party, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and National Vice-Chairman of the Party, Frederick F. Anto.
The General Secretary’s decisive statement is expected to bring discussion on the matter to an end.
Workshop
Meanwhile the party has organized an orientation workshop for the various constituency elections committee in the region. The workshop which had the General Secretary attending was to enlighten the election committees on the rules and regulations for the conduct of the primaries. The workshop was also used to discuss ways to ensure that the party retains seats it won marginally in the 2016 general elections and to discuss strategies to wrest seats that are currently being occupied by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
