Even though the Director of Communications for ZoomLion Waste Management Company Limited, Robert Coleman, has not indicated his readiness to contest the Ayawaso Central seat on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC);for the 2016 Parliamentary election, some party supporters are pushing for him to run for the “orphan” seat, whether he likes it or not.
The NDC considers the Ayawaso Central seat, as an orphan Constituency currently held by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP), Henry Quartey, after it was held for almost a decade by Sheik I. C. Quaye, otherwise known as “Agbenaaaa” also of the NPP’s stock.
Scores of party stalwarts yearning to run for the Seat come 2016, have indicated their willingness to opt out of the yet to be announced date for the party primary, if Mr. Coleman will run, The Herald can relay.
This information came to light when the NDC executives of the Constituency in collaboration with the communications manager, of the leading waste management company in the country organized the Third Memorial Service for the late President, John Evan Atta-Mills in the Constituency.
The service which was organized last Friday July 25, at the Kotobabi- Astroturf owned by Mr. Coleman, to celebrate the virtues of the Late President, became an avenue for the party supporters to urge the Communications expert to run for the seat.
The colourful programme was attended by the National Chairman of the NDC Kofi Portuphy, Enoch Tei Mensah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Pampram, Joseph Ade-Coker, NDC Regional Chairman and Daniel Amartey- Mensah, former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) and William Afum Ani –Agyei, immediate past NDC Parliament aspirant for the area in 2012, among other party stalwarts.
It appears that the 2017 Parliament, will be one that will showcase the country’s array of popular personalities on both sides of the political divide.
After the likes of Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, formerly with Joy Fm, an Accra based radio station won the Ofoase Constituency in the Eastern Region and George Andah, formerly of MTN, also winning the NPP Awutu Senya East slot in the Central Region, others lacing their boots to join the upcoming NDC contest are Eric Don Arthur, the Host of defunct Tv3’s Sunshine Morning show for Effettu, Abeiku Aggrey Santana, a presenter with Okay FM, an Accra based-radio station in the stables of Despite Group of companies and Clement Bonney, a Kumawood actor otherwise known as ‘Mr. Beautiful’, have all declared to contest on the ticket of the NDC.
The Herald, can report that Mr. Coleman’s decision to contest the Ayawaso Central Constituency seat, stems from pressure being mounted on him by the youth for being resourceful and hardworking.
The Ayawaso Central Constituency seat, is one of the safe seats that have been held by the opposition NPP since 1996.
Hints that Mr. Coleman is wanted on the ticket of the NDC came to the fore when The Herald visited Kotobaabi, a suburb in Accra.
For the youth around the Kotobabi Cluster of schools, where Mr. Coleman has built an Astroturf for playing football, they will be elated if Mr. Coleman accepts to run for Parliament.
The Herald is informed that in 1999 when an innocent boy by name Tetteh Nartey ,was shot dead by some trigger happy Police men in the Kotobabi area, Mr. Coleman, led the fight for compensation to be paid to the bereaved family in 2000, when ex -President John Agyekum Kufour assumed the reign of power.
The Herald is reliably informed that Mr. Coleman, has also employed over seven hundred youth into Zoomlion over the past one year.
The Herald has it that Mr. Coleman has been at the fore front of championing sanitation in the area and led the campaign for free distribution of bins in the Constituency.
When The Herald contacted Mr. Coleman, he declined to comment, stating that at the appropriate time, he would make his intentions known to the members of the Constituency.
He, however, admitted that pressure was being mounted on him by the youth and party stalwarts in the area to contest the 2016 parliamentary race of the party.
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