New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu in the Central Region, Alex Afenyo-Markins has diffused reports that an aspiring Parliamentary aspirant of the NPP, George Andah was once a National Democratic Congress (NDC) member.
The Lawyer described an Al Hajj newspaper report that linked the astute businessman to the NDC as false and one intended to end the Parliamentary ambitions of the former MTN Boss.
Andah who was a leading member of elitist Pressure Group, #OccupyGhana surprised political watchers when he announced his intention to contest the NPP Parliamentary primary in the Awutu-Senya West constituency of the Central Region.
He would be challenging Foreign Affairs Minister, Hannah Tetteh who is the sitting MP for the area, when elected by the delegates.
Government communicators by this announcement felt vindicated as they had always argued the group was pro-NPP.
The paper edited by Alhaji Bature claimed George Andah decided to contest for the NPP after he was over-looked by President Mahama for the post of Trades and Industry Minister.
Ekow Spio-Gabrah now occupies the position after Haruna Iddrissu was reshuffled to Employment and Labour ministry.
“The aL-hAJJ can confirm that the marketing guru’s decision was to spite his longtime friend, President Mahama, after being overlooked for the Trade and Industry Ministry post..,” the report partly read.
The paper continued that Andah who is a long-time friend of the sitting President was over-looked for the ministerial position after power brokers in the NDC complained that he was not a known NDC member.
“His lobbying was so intense that it was given a further boost when Edward Ato Sarpong, another private sector person, was appointed deputy Communications Minister. Even before Ato Sarpong’s appointment, George Andah was assured of a place in His Excellency’s government and indeed, he was told his name will feature in the next reshuffle. He was penciled for the Trade and Industry Ministry and he almost got it,” the paper quoted what it described as a dependable source at the seat of government as disclosing.
The power brokers, the report continued were in favour of Spio-Garbrah who was an Education Minister in the Rawlings administration and a person with the ambition to lead the NDC in the near future.
But these claims, Afenyo-Markins said have no basis as Mr. Andah has been nursing his Parliamentary ambition over years.
He told of how he and Mr. Andah have been working for the NPP in the Central Region for years now.
He thus encouraged his ‘long-time friend’ to refuse to give in to rumours and reports intended to dissuade him from his political ambitions.
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