Ashanti NPP, theatre of surprises
The Ashanti Region is touted as the stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and last Saturday the region lived up to that accolade by pulling spectacular surprises during the party’s parliamentary primaries held across the country.
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The region was an exciting theatre of events.
It registered the highest number of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) who lost their bid to contest the parliamentary election in 2016, witnessed the entrance of the youngest parliamentary aspirant and topped it up with the arrest of one of the aspirants.
The region also recorded the highest number of sitting MPs going unopposed — seven.
Meanwhile, in three of the constituencies, the primaries could not be held for various reasons.
Kofi Ghana
The surprises started with the arrest of a former MP for Asokwa, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, who, upon suspicion that things were not being done right, stormed the Osei Kwaku Youth Centre at Ahinsan and, without any provocation, snatched the voters roll and tore it into pieces, to the amazement of even his own supporters.
Mr Jumah, also known as Kofi Ghana, was arrested, handcuffed and whisked to the police station to prevent some agitated youth from beating him.
Later, the election proceeded.
In the end Mr Jumah polled 158 votes, against 326 by Madam Patricia Appiagyei.
Minority Leader
The Suame Constituency, where the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is the sitting MP, attracted a lot of attention because three aspirants challenged his bid for another go at the parliamentary election.
In the end, all was settled when the Minority Leader retained the slot.
At the end of the counting, the results were as follows: Genfi Boateng, 89; John Darko, 66; Richard Soadwa, 54, and Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, 283.
Very little is known about the 23-year-old student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) who emerged in Kwabre East and sent shock waves in the political arena by snatching the slot from the incumbent MP.
Sitting MPs who lost their bid to contest on the ticket of the NPP include Simon Osei Mensah, Bosomtwe; Addai-Nimo, Mampong; Richard Anane, Nhyiaeso; Dr Afriyie Akoto, Kwadaso; Kwadwo Baah, Asante Akyem and Henry Kokofu, Bantama.
The rest are Elizabeth Agyeman, Oforikrom; Atta Boafo, Fomena; Joe Hendricks, Afigya Sekyere East; Grace Addo, Manso Nkwanta, Isaac Osei, Subin, and Edward Ennin, Obuasi East.
This was how they were kicked out:
Subin
Eugene Boakye Antwi, 266; Joseph Boakye Danquah, 104; Isaac Osei, 237, and Frank Kwadwo Duodu, 38.
Kwabre East
Francisca Oteng-Mensah, 321; Lawyer Osei-Poku, 202; Kofi Frimpong, 187; K. Adjei-Sefa, 33, and Emmanuel Owusu, 13.
Bantama
The incumbent Kokofu lost to his opponent Daniel Aboagye, popularly known as Wofa Atta, who polled 289 votes, as against 225 by the incumbent.
Nhyiaeso
Dr Anane, who was seeking a fifth term in Parliament, lost the bid to a former Ashanti Regional Organiser of the NPP, Kennedy Kankam.
Not even the last-minute withdrawal from the race by one of the contestants to support Dr Anane’s bid could save him.
Dr Anane polled 110 votes, while Kankam polled 242.
The other contestants were Stephen Amoah, 164, and Kwame Appiah-Menka, 34.
Oforikrom
Madam Elizabeth Agyeman, who had initially said she would not contest the primary, was shown the exit by Emmanuel Marfo, who had 356 votes.
Madam Agyeman had 237, while the other contestant, Mr Alex Gyan, polled 193.
Kwadaso
The Kwadaso primary had been described as the battle of PhD holders.
Dr Afriyie Akoto had 98; Dr S.K. Nuamah, 139 votes; Dr Charles Dwamena, 78; while Madam Hilda Addo had 14.