The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Upper Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, Mr Joseph Tetteh (aka Joe Tee), has made history by winning the Upper Manya Krobo Constituency seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The seat which has been a preserve for the NDC since 1992 was snatched from the incumbent, Mr Jeff Tetteh Kavianu, with 13,920 votes as against 10,544 in the parliamentary election held on Wednesday, December 7, 2016.
In the Presidential race, the NDC got 13,180 as against 10, 881 for the NPP in the Upper Manya Krobo Constituency.
The Lower Manya Krobo seat was retained by the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, with 19,710 as against 19,383 for the NPP candidate, Samuel Ayertey Nuertey, but the NPP has objected to the results and requested for recount of the ballot.
The MP for Yilo Krobo, Magnus Kofi Amoatey, has also retained the seat for the NDC by beating the NPP candidate with 23,487 votes as against 15,976.
Since 1992
Since 1992, the NDC has captured all the parliamentary seats in the Dangme areas namely: Ada East, Ada West, Ningo-Prampram, Shai- Osudoku , in the Greater Accra Region and Yilo Krobo and Manya Krobo areas in the Eastern Region.
However, the situation changed this year with the NPP in the Upper Manya Krobo Constituency occupying one of the seats for the first time.
There was jubilation for the NPP supporters throughout the constituency amid dancing to the songs composed by the NDC. It was a way of teasing the NDC supporters. The market square of Asesewa, the Upper Manya Krobo District capital, was not left out as the NPP supporters mounted loud speakers with loud music blaring.
The new MP, Mr Tetteh, could, however, not be reached by the Daily Graphic for his comment as he was whisked out of the Asesewa town to cool off from the pressure of the jubilation.
Good message
The Upper Manya Krobo NPP Chairman, Moses Tetteh, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said it was the party’s good message coupled with hard work from all the branches that enabled the party to win the seat.
He added: “This is the first time that our Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, had garnered over 10,000 votes in the Dangme land and this is the beginning of what would happen in the future in the other Dangme constituencies.’’
The NPP constituency chairman advised the party supporters to celebrate in moderation in order not to create unnecessary tension in the area in the interest of mother Ghana as they were one people with different political ideas.
The Dade Mantse (community leader) of Poponya Fantem, Albert Teye, a ward chairman of the party, however, said the change of the parliamentary candidate was due to an utterance of the incumbent MP, which hurt the Krobos.
According to Dade Mantse Teye, the incumbent MP insulted the Krobos during a public forum at Asesewa, saying: “We don’t speak Krobo language, for that matter Dangme, in Parliament,” an expression which was an affront to the dignity of the Krobos, hence the need to look for an indigene to represent them in Parliament as Kavianu is not Krobo. He said that should serve as a deterrent to all politicians not to take the electorate for granted.
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