Some polling station executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper West Akim constituency of the Eastern Region have exposed an alleged sinister ploy being spearheaded by the regional and constituency chairmen of the party, to coerce the party into making the sitting Member of Parliament(MP), Hon. Frederick Obeng Adom contest unopposed.
The two chairmen, Jeff Konadu Addo –Eastern Regional Chairman and Nana Adai Obuobi -Upper West Akim constituency chairman, are believed to have met to discuss possible means by which they can help the current MP contest the primaries without going through any contest.
Addressing a press conference, the visibly angry polling station executives led by Nana Oppong Kyekyeku I, Coordinators Chairman, revealed that, the two chairmen are clandestinely pushing that agenda hiding behind the national leadership of the party, claiming that the national leadership of the party has made a rule insisting that no sitting MP must be contested.
According to them, should that happen, the NPP is heading for doom, hence they are calling on the national leadership to allow all who picked forms to contest and whoever is elected will be given all the support towards winning the election.
They are of the view that the MP, Hon. Frederick Obeng Adom has lost his relevance in the constituency and for that matter, forcing him on the people would not help the party.
According to Asare Botwey Benjamin, concerned party member, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Eugene Sackey took to their platform and dropped a voice message asking them not to allow anybody to contest Hon. Frederick Obeng Adom.
This information, the DCE claimed was received from the Regional Chairman, who also claimed he had the instruction from the national leadership not to allow a contest.
This they kicked against strongly believing that the national leadership of the party cannot and had not given any such order.
They also make reference to the party’s decision to allow a contest among candidates who expressed interest in the parliamentary seats of the party and that, the party cannot back-down on that without any official public announcement.
They also alleged that, they have received reliable information of the sitting MP, Hon. Frederick Obeng Adom giving some amounts of money to both regional and constituency chairmen of the party, hence their action.
Meanwhile, they averred that they are ready to vote against the party should the two chairmen go ahead with their ill intention and coerce the party members in the constituency to agree on making Hon. Frederick Obeng Adom an unopposed candidate for 2024.
They spoke about the unfulfilled promises by the MP and his inability to complete projects he had started as some of the issues that cause serious disaffection for him as an MP and the party as a whole.
They however expressed their unwillingness to support the MP should the Regional and Constituency chairmen do not allow for a free and fair contest.
“We are not in support of anybody going unopposed. We are ready to support whoever emerges the candidate after a contest during the primaries. Anything short of that will lead to serious trouble for the party here in Upper West Akim,” they noted.
