The Akuapem South Parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) initially scheduled for Saturday, January 27, 2024, has been postponed until further notice due to an impasse between the Incumbent Member of Parliament, Osei Bonsu Amoah, and the area Municipal Chief Executive, Frank Aidoo.
This was announced by the Party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong in a statement saying the decision is in “response to petitions received, accompanied by recommendations from both the constituency executive committee and the regional executive committee”.
The Akuapem South Constituency Executive recently, petitioned the National Executive Committee to look into a petition filed by the MCE, Frank Aidoo who had claimed that the incumbent MP, OB Amoah’s decision to step down from the race was a strategy to block him from contesting to give his aide undue advantage.
The incumbent at the opening of the parliamentary nominations of the party decided not to pick the nominations again, on the claims that he wont seek a re-election.
Due to that the Municipal Chief Executive picked the nomination forms and subsequently filed them at the party’s regional office in Koforidua, attaching a petition asking the party to clear him to join the contest anytime the incumbent Member of Parliament, withdrew from the race, even though the constitutional requirement of the party demands that the MMDCEs who want to contest in areas where sitting MPs are contesting must resign two years before nomination opens.
However, after the MCE picked and filed to contest, the incumbent MP, in U-Turn also went to pick the forms, as his aide, Apeadu Eric also picked to contest.
Due to that, the MCE was disqualified by the Elections Vetting Committee during his vetting, as the incumbent MP, OB Amoah, was cleared to contest the race with his aide Eric Apeadu, Kwame Ofori Gyawu, and Samuel Annor Mensah to compete fiercely for the seat OB Amoah has occupied for four consecutive terms.
Interestingly, OB Amoah in a dramatic move this week withdrew from the race leaving his contenders to contest excluding the MCE.
Upon the withdrawal of OB Amoah, the MCE, Frank Aidoo has reactivated his petition at the party’s head office and expected to be cleared to join the contest.
Based on this backdrop, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Tony Osei-Agyei said the party will be considering including the MCE, Frank Aidoo in the primary scheduled for a later date.
Below is the full Statement;
-BY Daniel Bampoe
