Tension is mounting in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Tema West Constituency over the delay in announcing the results of the vetting of candidates for the party’s November 7 primary.
The NDC has set November 7 for its presidential and parliamentary primaries. However, with a few days left to go, neither of the two aspirants vying for the ticket to contest the parliamentary election in 2016 knows his fate, as the process has been put on hold.
The Greater Accra Regional Executive of the NDC withheld vetting results for parliamentary aspirants in the constituency pending investigations into allegations made against the aspirants by some party loyalists.
The results were expected to be released on Tuesday, October 13, 2015, but as of the time of filing this report, the outcome was not known, with the camps of both aspirants, Mr Bill Boglo-Hedo and Mr James Enu, sitting on the edge.
Withdrawal
A few days to the close of nominations, a party stalwart and former parliamentary candidate, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, who had picked nominations forms, albeit through an emissary, in a statement announced his withdrawal from the race.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo came close to annexing the seat in the last general election, losing out by a paltry 945 votes.
He garnered 39,005 votes, as against Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo’s 39,950.
In a statement issued on the eve of the close of nominations, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who is also a vice chairman and Director of Elections of the NDC, said his current position as a vice chairman and his appointment as the Director of Elections had added an enormous responsibility to his already busy schedule.
Anger and protest
The statement to withdraw from the race angered some supporters of the party in the constituency who went further to lock up the party office, a situation which prevented any parliamentary aspirant from filing his or her nomination forms.
The two parliamentary hopeful in the constituency had no option but proceed to file their nomination at the Greater Accra Regional Office to avoid a clash with the angry supporters who had besieged the constituency office on the last day of nominations.
With that hurdle cleared, the aspirants psyched themselves up for the vetting.
However, the vetting committee of the party, during its sitting on October 9, 2015, could not conclude the vetting process on the two nominees.
The chairman and other panel members of the committee were of the view that there were some further particulars/information needed in order to arrive at a reasonable decision as to whether to clear the nominees or not.
On that basis, the committee has suspended the vetting process on both Enu and Hedo.
With the vetting committee’s decision pending, the camps of the two are bracing themselves up for a gruelling battle ahead of the primary but for now are keeping their strategies close to their chest, as they would not want to make any comment even when approached.
It remains to be seen which of the two will emerge victorious in the primary slated for November 7, 2015.
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