NPP MP�s Plans Of Seeking Fourth Time Re-Election Nearly Scuttled

An apparent bad blood between the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima Mponua in the Ashanti Region, Mr Isaac Asiamah, and the Constituency Secretary, Baba Yaro, nearly scuttled and truncated the MP’s plans of seeking a fourth-time re-election to Parliament after his nomination forms were temporarily rejected.

The constituency secretary was demanding documents, including an indenture, on a land the MP  had reportedly promised the party two months ahead of picking his nomination forms on April 30 this year as a prerequisite for endorsing the MP’s forms.

Mr Yaro insisted that if Mr Asiamah did not provide the party with the documents, he (Yaro) would write comments on the forms so that on the day of vetting he could be questioned about that promise.

But following the refusal and the contestation between Mr Yaro and Mr Asiamah, the secretary forwarded the unsigned forms to the Regional Executive Committee to make it invalid.

Mr Yaro told Daily Graphic that his demand was premised on an incident that happened four years ago when Mr Asiamah allegedly came for a computer he had bought for the party office following a feud between the two of them. But Mr Asiamah has refuted the allegation.

 Following a number of consultations, Mr Yaro was invited to the regional office on May 1, where he was prayed upon to sign the forms, but was allowed to make his comments as demanded.

The party secretary’s comment is expected to form the basis for some questioning at today’s constituency vetting and tomorrow’s regional vetting.

But Mr Asiamah told Daily Graphic, “No single individual, not even the flag bearer, can stop a party member from contesting on the party’s ticket unless the one has flouted the party’s laws.”

He said the apparent disagreement between the two stemmed from the fact that Mr Yaro had been doing the bidding for his competitor, Nobel Christian Osei-Bonsu, and wanted [Asiamah] out.

Mr Asiamah alleged that Mr Yaro had been fighting his desire to make a fourth-time appearance in Parliament and had subsequently been canvassing for Mr Osei-Bonsu to unseat him.

‘Even if he manages to get some few delegates to his side, I don’t think he will be able to win the over 800 delegates to his side. I have been in this game for some time, and I know how it’s played,” he said.

Daily Graphic’s investigation at the constituency indicated that there were serious factionalism - whoever wins the seat will have a huge task of unifying the party members.