Ayawaso east: Some aggrieved members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ayawaso East Constituency have expressed grievances over what they say is the unilateral decision of their Greater Accra Regional Chairman, David Otoo Agorhom, to hand-pick a candidate to represent them in the upcoming by-election.
According to Ghana Web, these members, some of whom are constituency executives and party stakeholders, have accused the regional chairman of abandoning his unifying role and instead deepening what they term internal cracks by the decision of 'imposing' a preferred candidate on the constituency.
At least five members of the party have formally expressed their readiness to contest the Ayawaso East parliamentary seat on the ticket of the NPP. However, information available shows that the regional chairman has refused to recognise or engage these prospective aspirants, rather choosing to stick to a personal choice, in the person of a candidate called Baba Ali.
Speaking with the reporter, an Electoral Area Coordinator, identified as Avelon, said Chairman Agorhom's actions could weaken the party and inadvertently benefit the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). Avelon alleged that about five candidates showed interest and picked nomination forms, but the regional chairman ignored all of them and supported Baba Ali, who, according to Avelon, cannot win power for the NPP in this constituency.
Hajia Salma, a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly, also expressed disappointment at what she described as a lack of engagement from the regional leadership. She stated that their regional chairman failed to reach out to them even after seeing completed nomination forms and campaign posters around the constituency.
In response to these claims, Chairman Agorhom explained that while he appreciates the interests of some NPP members to contest in the race, he did not take a unilateral decision. He clarified that the decision was undertaken from the national level of the party, stating that nominations were not officially opened, and thus, no formal candidates existed.
Chairman Agorhom advised that those with concerns should use the appropriate channels to express their intentions, rather than resorting to the media. He emphasized that the right place to express such intentions is through the constituency executives.
The by-election in Ayawaso East has been prompted by the death of the sitting MP, Naser Toure Mahama. Although the seat is predominantly held by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the NPP is aiming to cause an upset and secure a win.