On Saturday, the Tema West Constituency will be a centre of attraction for members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the constituents go to the polls to choose who represents them in Parliament in 2016, after over a month of protests.
The incumbent, Naa Torshie, will be testing her popularity in the constituency as she battles two heavy weights: Carlos Ahenkorah and Adwoa Amoako.
Naa Torshie, who is seeking a third term in Parliament, has received opposition from her contenders, who have managed to garner grassroots support, which threatens her ambition.
After initial attempts to get the two other contestants disqualified, the appeals committee of the party has cleared the two to contest the primaries, setting the stage for what promises to be a close contest for the MP ticket.
Call for equal platform for all contestants
Over the weekend, some Members of Parliament thronged the constituency to openly solicit the support of delegates for the incumbent Member of Parliament, a development which the other two contestants have heavily criticised as unfair and has the tendency to divide the party’s front in the constituency.
Carlos Ahenkorah is of the view that the activities of the other Members of the Parliament in the constituency were unethical.
To him, many in the party look up to some of the MPs and expect them to be neutral in such situation and not be seen in the light in which they carried themselves in the constituency by openly campaigning for the incumbent.
“It is very sad because how do you expect to work with me if the candidate you openly campaigned for does not win?” he queried.
He also accused the ‘offending’ MPs of peddling falsehood about the party’s presidential candidate, Nana Addo.
“They were here telling the delegates that Nana Addo has already formed his Cabinet and that Naa Torshie was part, and that if they do not vote to retain her it would derail Nana Addo’s agenda,” he said.
‘I will add 500 more votes’
Carlos Ahenkorah, who spoke to The Finder over the weekend, promised to increase the electoral fortunes of the New Patriotic Party in the constituency if he is elected.
According to him ,the fortunes of the party has dwindled over the period, and if a formidable candidate is not presented to radically turn things around, the NPP risks losing the seat to the National Democratic Congress.
“My assurance to the electorate and to Nana Addo is that I will add 500-plus votes, and that is my target,” he assured.
He noted that while votes for the presidential candidate of the party have seen some increment in the constituency, same cannot be said of the parliamentary candidate, an indication of a growing apathy against the incumbent.
“It stands to reason that there need to be a turnaround to change the one who is there,” he emphasised.
‘Don’t be swayed by sweet talk’
Adwoa Amoako has lauded the constituency’s delegates for their bold decision not to allow themselves to be influenced by “sweet talks” by some NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) and some politicians to vote for a particular candidate in Saturday’s parliamentary primaries.
Four MPs - Dan Kwaku Botwe (Okere), Samuel Atta Akyea (Abuakwa), Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover (Tema East) and Henry Quartey (Ayawaso Central) - as well as Kwaku Owusu Afriyie, NPP’s immediate-past General Secretary, and Owusu Bempah of the National Democratic Party (NDP) last Friday met the delegates at two separate meetings and impressed upon them to vote for the incumbent MP because, among other things, she was the choice of the presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
But soon after the said meeting, the delegates resolved to let their conscience direct them on the choice of the candidate for the constituency instead of being manipulated like puppets on a string.
Hailing the decision of the delegates during whistle-stop visits to some of the electoral areas on Monday evening, Adwoa Amoako said, “This is victory for commonsense,” adding that posterity will richly reward them for their matured stand.
She said, “In 2008 and 2012, Naa Torshie Addo found it fit to use ordinary people in the constituency to successfully campaign for votes. What has suddenly changed that she now has to run upstairs to look for the support of MPs and other politicians to attempt to brainwash the delegates?
“If this is not a sign of desperation then I don’t know what else is,” she said, saluting the delegates for not falling prey to such cheap politics and propaganda.
Additionally, Adwoa Amoako urged the delegates not to be influenced by the many gifts being showered on them by some of the aspirants but to vote for someone who will unite the rank and file of the party in the constituency towards a massive victory in 2016.
“What will it benefit you to get all the material things in the world and waste vote? Your vote is more important than any material thing in the world,” she charged, adding that “the real focus of everyone who really loves the party must ensure that the NPP regains its commanding heights in the Tema West Constituency. That is paramount to our success, and it is non-negotiable.
“The result of the last election clearly shows that the party’s performance is dwindling fast in Tema West, especially in the parliamentary race.
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