NPP parliamentary primaries: More gloom for aspirants seeking to challenge bigwigs

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu as well as the Education Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh and seven others could go unopposed in the NPP parliamentary primaries.

Those seeking to contest them are facing growing challenges in acquiring the nomination forms.

One of them, Akwasi Amofa Agyemang who is seeking to unseat the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament had to travel to Accra on Wednesday in search of nomination forms.

“The [Regional] Chairman says that he took the forms to his house and some people had come to purchase all the forms that he had. But he wasn’t going to mention the names of the people who bought the forms. So effectively, it means that there were no forms available for me. The sensible thing to do was to proceed to Accra,” he said.

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has stressed that it would be suicidal for the NPP to allow aspirants to contest him and some key others.

“We must have a situation where the Majority Leader will not be contested for what he is doing for the party and parliament. [Also], the First Deputy Speaker and the Education Minister given what they have been doing.



“Because of what they are doing, they are not able to find space to visit their constituencies often. You will allow someone to go and scavenge at the backyard of those people,” he argued.

He added: “It would be most unfortunate and suicidal for the government” to allow them to be contested in the primaries.

Mr Kyei Mensah Bonsu’s position is enjoying the backing of the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, Samuel Pyne who says he endorses the stance.

In the Suame Constituency, two individuals, John Darko and Dr Amoako Tuffour have expressed the desire to challenge Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu. The Majority Leader, however, describes them as irrelevant.

“A certain John Darko wants to have some relevance. He contested me the other time and garnered about 56 votes so I don’t know why he is making noise. As it is said, empty barrels make the most noise.”

The First Deputy Speaker, Osei Owusu also suggested that first-term MPs run unopposed.

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is scheduled to hold parliamentary primaries in areas where it has sitting Members of Parliament on April 25, 2020.

The NPP has 169 sitting Members of Parliament out of the total 275 seats.

Source:Myjoyonline