Information gathered by this paper indicates that the Eastern Regional Executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party are allegedly imposing the former Regional Council of State Member, Mr. Paa Kofi Ansong on the Municipal and District Chief Executive Officers to vote for him coming February 12th 2021, as the next Regional Council of State Member.
Mr. Paa Kofi Ansong, a former Council of State Member Appointee for Eastern Region has picked his forms to contest the race with the Incumbent, Nana Mireku Somuah II, also the chief of Kwahu – Asakakraka and one Dr. Adu Ampomaah.
In a bid to secure his second chance as the Council of State Member even though the President didn’t appoint him this time around, the Regional Chairman and others are asking the Municipal and District Chief Executive Officers to vote for him or lose their job on the claims that he is the President’s choice.
This development as gathered is ongoing in the Ashanti, Western and among other regions where the Party gurus are imposing aspirants on the MDCEs to vote for a candidate.
According to them, the Former COS Member who hailed from Kwahu has been fully endorsed by the President to be reelected for the second term through balloting hence the MDCEs are expected to vote for him at all cost.
Initially, per the rules of the game, it’s Presiding Members of each MMDAs are expected to cast vote with one member chosen by the Assembly members.
In the past year’s the MDCEs are always been confirmed by the Assembly members before they are allowed to vote for the Council of State nominees.
But the Regional Chairman, Mr. Kiston Akomeng Kissi and the former Secretary, Prince Aboagye who are the campaigners of the former Council of State Member in last week’ met with the former MDCEs and warned them to vote for Mr. Paa Kofi Ansong since he is the chosen one.
However, some of the MDCEs who feel threatened about their jobs have expressed that the President in some weeks ago through the Chief of Staff asked them to be the ” Caretakers of the Assembly” and doesn’t see the need to cast their votes to elect a Council of State Members since they have been instructed to desist from taking policy decisions.
According to them, per the directive by the President, it’s illegal for them to cast the vote since they are now acting members and not officially nominated.
Some even alleged that the Regional Chairman told them, they will show their ballot when thumped openly to them (Regional Executives) before putting it into the ballot box to confirm as to who they voted for.
Some of them expressed that they feel insecure with the directive impose on them by the Regional Executives of the party since they can be taken on by another person to court when they went ahead to vote which is illegal per the President Directive.
Some said they have been receiving telephone calls from Private numbers claimed from the Jubilee House tasked by the President to instruct them to vote for Mr. Paa Kofi Ashong or get fired.
However, the MCEs who are worried are pleading on the Chief of Staff to intervene as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, attempts to reach the Eastern Regional Chairman of the NPP for his reactions on this development failed as he failed to pick up the calls sent to his phones.
