<<Print>>A defeated New Patriotic Party (NPP) aspirant in the Klottey Korle constituency, Philip Addison, has petitioned the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) over the parliamentary primary in the constituency. Addison claims the credibility of the results of the election is doubtful given several ‘illegalities’ that occurred in the process.
An aide of Philip Addison, Frank Davis confirmed the petition had been filed stating that they believed the elections had not been conducted in a fair and transparent manner. “In any election, you either win or lose. but the catch words are fairness and transparency. When elections are conducted and you have reasonable belief that you have lost fairly and the process has been transparent, there will be no need complaining about anything.
But what happened on Sunday August 2, I can beat my chest and say that it was organised in an unfair and [not in a] transparent manner.” He claimed that meeting was scheduled “at the instance of the General Secretary” and was attended by several regional and constituency officials of the party and two of the three aspirants and that the decisions taken would be binding. Addison had earlier claimed that it had been agreed at the meeting that the election would not be held last Sunday as it would not be appropriate for the delegates, so soon after the court’s ruling.
Davis stated that the other two aspirants have been “shortchanged” by the decision to hold the elections on Sunday. ‘We did not rush elections’ The General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyepong denied claims that the elections were rushed, arguing that the elections had been delayed so many times it was imperative to hold the election once the case had been dismissed. “I’m surprised that some people are saying that we rushed the primary.
This is a primary that was supposed to be held on the 13th of June, moved to 25th of june and the July 25 and now August 2. How can anybody complain about that?” he said. Nii Noi Nortey was voted the party’s representative for the constituency elections in 2016 by delegates of the NPP on Saturday, three days after an application for an injunction on the polls was dismissed by a Fast-track High Court.
The election last Sunday was marred by clashes between some NPP sympathizers, believed to be supporters of one of the aspirants, Philip Addison and the police as they thronged the streets in a bid to stop the elections. Addison along with the third candidate in the election, Nii Adjei Tawiah, called on their supporters to prevent any delegates from voting at the party’s headquarters. The lawyer, who rose to fame following the 2012 election petition, at one point dared the police to “shoot everybody” who tried to stop the election.
He eventually boycotted the election stating that he “did not feel part of the process” but still managed 22 votes. His tally however was bested by Nii Noi Nortey’s who won with a wide margin. Nii Adjei Tawiah has already petitioned the party on the same matter.