Tension heralds Ablekuma West NPP primary
Tension and uncertainty are brewing in the Ablekuma West Constituency ahead of today’s parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency.
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Whilst the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party has scheduled the primary for today, some constituency executive members claim thay are yet to receive an official communication from the party headquarters regarding the primary.
The NPP Constituency Chairman told the Daily Graphic that, “I don’t know; I have not received any communique to that effect.”
However, a member of the Communication and Monitoring Department of the party, Mr Richard Darko said, “The election is coming off.”
The primary today is being contested by two aspirants; the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and an entrepreneur, Mr Roni Kwesi Nicol.
The former chairman of the constituency, Mr Theophilus N.A. Tettey, a third aspirant, opted out of the primary and subsequent processes leading to the exercise due to some concerns which had to do with NEC’s decision to merge the two disputed albums in the constituency, preparing the group for controversy.
All set for primary
Meanwhile, according to Mr Martin Adjei Korsah, Director of Elections, all is set for the primary would take place at Dansoman Police Station and warned that only accredited delegates were expected to participate in the process.
He said any one who had not been accredited should stay away from the police station where the primary would taking place.
Long overdue
The primary is long overdue. Since June last year, it had been on hold because the incumbent Member of Parliament petitioned the party that one of her contenders was not qualified to contest her.
A committee set up by the leadership of the party to look into the case has finally cleared all the three aspirants and set today for the party to conduct its primary.
The three strong aspirants who have emerged to contest the primary are the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Ms Ursula Owusu; the former NPP chairperson of Ablekuma West, Mr Theophilus N.A. Tettey, and an entrepreneur, Mr Roni Kwesi Nicol.
Already, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has picked its candidate, Mrs Diana Twum, who is leaving no stone unturned for the November 7 election.
Voting pattern
The constituency seat, since 1992, has been won by the two dominant parties, the NPP or NDC; however, the NPP has won it three times.
Before it was carved out of Ablekuma South, the NPP, through Madam Theresa Ameley Tagoe, won the seat for three consecutive times: 1996, 2000 and 2004, while the NDC won it twice.
Mr Quaynor Mettle won it in 1992, while Mr Frederic Fritz Baffour won in 2008.
The Ablekuma South Constituency was split into two: South and West constituencies.
In a keenly contested primary in 2011, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful won the Ablekuma West Constituency parliamentary primary of the NPP after beating her closest contender, Mr Benjamin Ashitey Brown, by 401 votes to 190 votes.
Subsequently, she won the seat with 58.22 per cent, representing 36,975 votes.
Percentage margins
The percentage margin, however, reduced in favour of the NDC despite the NPP retaining the seat from 1996-2014.
For instance, in 2000, Madam Tagoe led with 56.90 per cent, while the first runner-up, Dr Nii Armah Josiah Aryeh of the NDC had 40.10 per cent.
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In 2004, Madam Tagoe won with 52.10 per cent and the NDC candidate, Nii Adama Morrison Hammond of the NDC, had 44.40 per cent.
The table turned in 2008, with the NDC parliamentary candidate, Mr Frederic Fritz Baffour, winning with 51.28 per cent and his counterpart from the NPP, Mr Francis Kojo Smith, taking 46.46 per cent.
A first timer, Ms Owusu, in the 2012 general election, won the Ablekuma West seat on the ticket of the NPP with 58.22 per cent, representing 36,975 votes.
As the November 7 election draws near, the perosn who will represent the NPP is what the party delegates are yet to answer.
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Political activities peaking
Meanwhile, political activities the constituency has peaked.
A visit to the constituency by the Daily Graphic revealed party paraphernalia spread all over the streets in the constituency.
Fliers and posters of prospective candidates had taken over the road from the Dansoman Roundabout to the Last Stop, announcing the intention of candidates to contest the yet-to-be decided parliamentary primary in the constituency.
Pictures of contenders were seen on billboards and placards everywhere in the vicinity.
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From the Dansoman Keep Fit Roundabout to the Exhibition Roundabout, posters of aspirants had been mounted.
Among them were the pictures of the incumbent, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Mr Theophilus N.A. Tettey and Mr Roni Kwesi Nicol, including those of the NDC’s candidate.
Delegates
The delegates in the constituency could not elect a parliamentary candidate in June 2015 due to litigation.
The party’s acting General Secretary, Mr John Boadu, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said a committee had eaerlier been constituted to resolve the matter, so delegates could choose their candidate for the 2016 November polls.