The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sam Pyne, has reiterated a call made by some leaders of the party that there would be no protection for any of its Members of Parliament (MPs) in the region in the upcoming parliamentary primaries. 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.
He has thus asked the public to reject any such call from individuals within the party saying such comments are the individual positions of such people.
Call for unopposed
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, last week Thursday, held a press conference to condemn what they describe as a subtle attempt to have their MP, Ben Abdela Banda, go unopposed.
However, according to the Regional Secretary any such move by the chairman can at best be his own wish and not the position of the party.
“They are matters that are being expressed by people but the NPP in the Ashanti region has not taken any official decision on this. Again, on matters concerning parliamentary primaries, the ultimate decision is at the national executive committee so even if somebody goes somewhere advocating for someone, that is a different matter,” he said.
Be protected by your work
Mr. Pyne’s call follows similar calls made by other party leaders 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.
All of them have asked the MPs to let their works protect them. Dr. Tuffour has stated that if the current MPs have indeed performed as professed, they would be retained by the constituents who first elected them insisting that the decision to allow the sitting lawmakers to be contested is for peace to prevail.
Mr. Otchere-Darko on his part said “the only way to protect MPs in primaries is by their own deeds, persuasion and the established rules of the game” adding that any attempt to do otherwise will be unwise.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the party, John Boadu, has debunked claims that its decision to charge all aspiring parliamentary candidates other than sitting MPs a Party Development Fee of GH¢30,000 is a ploy to protect certain MPs.
