Incumbent NPP MPs Sits On Tenterhooks As Delegates Decides Tommorrow

It is that moment of anxious aprehension and insecure nevoursness in the life of sitting Members of Parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as delegates of the party decides their fate tommorow January 27, 2023.

The current delegates both young and old are lawfully clothed with the power and authority through the exercise of their franchise to make a determination whether sitting MPs seeking re-election to contest on the ticket of the party should return to the law-making House or not irrespective of how long they (MPs) have been there.

The governing NPP scheduled tomorrow to elect parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) across the country, the feverishness are particularly high for a few incumbents whose reign have come under serious criticism and threat.

Notable among these are Sarah Adwoa Safo, the incumbent Member for Dome-Kwabenya in the Greater Accra region, Francis Asenso-Boakye of Bantama in the Ashanti region and Kobina Tahir Hammond of the Adansi Asokwa constituency also in the Ashanti region who have all come under the spotlight for the wrong reasons as the D-day counts down.

Dome Kwabenya

A win for Adwoa Safo tommorow will probably be the most shocking development of the 2023/2024 NPP primaries due to the fact that she survived the previous primary in 2020 by only eight votes against his contender, Michael Oquaye Jr who is coming again coupled with her conduct in recent times that negatively affected the majorty in parliament.

The conduct of the Dome-Kwabenya MP For a greater part of the past three years has reduced her already glimmer chances of retaining the NPP ticket for the December elections.

Adwoa Safo without any records of granted permission abandoned the constituency and role as a minister of state and was domiciled in the United States giving rise to angered agitiations among party faithfuls, her colleague parliamentarians who questioned her motives and loyalty since that affected the majority group in this current hung Parliament.

This puts her in a harmsway against her former challenger and Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority Michael Oquaye Jr and Sheela Oppong Sakyi, a legal practitioner and strategist at the Office of the First Lady.

Adansi Asokwa

In the Adansi Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti Region, the incumbent MP and Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Hammond, one of the longest-serving MPs, is facing stiff competition from three others including Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company, Samuel Binfoh Darkwa, Dr Enoch Acheampong and Kwabena Nkansah Asamoah.

The party dismissed a petition filed by Mr Hammond and party executives requesting that Samuel Binfoh Darkwa be disaqualified from contesting.

In the Bantama Constituency, also in the Ashanti Region, the incumbent MP and Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye faces a tough opponent in Raphael Agyapong, a brother of former NPP presidential hopeful and MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong.

The incumbent is slightly disadvataged due to corruption tag labbelled against him by the failed flagbearer contender that the later was involved in taking kickbacks at the Jubilee House when he was deputy Chief of Staff.

Unpopular MPs

An alleged National Security leaked report also emerged and listed some MPs as unpopular recommending that delegates vote against such MPs to help break the eight in the 2024 general elections.

The report listed Abuakwa North MP and Deputy Education minister, Gifty Twum Ampofo, Offinso North MP and deputy Local Government and Decentralisation mininster, Augustine Collins Ntim, Kwesimintsim MP, dR Prince Hamid Armah, MP for Asante Akyem Central, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi among others.

The MPs mentioned in the so-called leaked report will also face tough times in their re-election bid tommorow.

Constituencies To Watch Out For

Asokwa

Incumbent MP, Patricia Appiagyei (Mama Pat) faces stiff competition from two men, Francis Nana Yaw Boakye and Edmund Kyei are seeking to unseat the forth term lawmaker.

Suame

The decision by the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu not to seek re-election after seven terms has paved the way for four men seeking to succeed.

They are Kwabena Osei-Adubofour, Pius Acheampong, John Darko and Maxwell Ofosu Boakye.

Eastern

Nsawam-Adoagyiri

Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh,s fourth term bid is being challenged by the Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Hayford Siaw and David Adu-Tutu Jr.

Okere

Six aspirants lock-horns to succeed Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe who is not seeking re-election.

Ofoase Ayirebi

Incumbent MP and Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is being challenged by a former Deputy Clerk of Parliament, Eric Owusu-Mensah and Maxwell Osei Gyamerah of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

Akyem Swedru

Incumbent, Kennedy Osei Nyarko faces tough competition from the Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, and businessman, Jerome Kwame Okyere Akordor for the Akyem Swedru NPP ticket for December 2024.

Greater Accra

Ablekuma West Constituency

Incumbent MP and Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, is being challenged by Roni Kwesi Nicol for the Ablekuma West slot.

Ahafo

Tano North

Incumbent and Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Dr Freda Prempeh will have a rin for her money with aid to Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Gideon Boako.

Delegate

The delegates, made up of polling station and constituency executive, electoral area coordinators, council of elders and patrons, and founder members (if any), would decide the fate of the incumbents and new the entrants.

A total of 322 aspirants who were cleared to contest in the primaries will slug it out in 101 constituencies in all except Oti regions.

Elections are however on hold in Akuapem South in the Eastern Region, Mampong in the Ashanti Region and Agona West in the Central Region due to some legal tussles.

By: Christian Kpesese/www.eaglegha.com