Elizabeth Afoley Quaye caused her own defeat - NPP’s polling station executives

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Krowor Polling Station Executives, and Electoral Area Coordinators, have blamed the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Mrs Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, for the defeat of the party in the 2020 general election.

Mrs Afoley Quaye, who is also the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, polled 32,604 votes while Madam Agnes Naa Momo Lartey of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won with 41,850 votes.

The Polling Station Executives and Area Coordinators at a press conference on Monday said it was not true that the constituency chairman caused their defeat in the election as been peddled by some followers of the MP.

According to them, “they claimed the constituency chairman campaigned ‘skirt and blouse’ and for that matter, he caused the defeat of the MP,” stressing that, “we vehemently reject that lies for it's without merit. On the contrary, the election results vindicated our position”.

They questioned if the chairman also advocated against the MP in her own backyard leading to her losing in almost all the polling stations including the Roman Catholic School polling station where she voted.

They indicated that it was on record that after the primaries, the constituency chairman took measures to unite all stakeholders in the area.

“We urge the MP to call her attacking dogs to order, as we have endured so much of such attacks, vilification for far too long. We are serving a caution that henceforth, any form of attack will not go unattended”.

Mr Collins Afrifa, St. Francis School Polling Station Executive, outlining what they believed caused their defeat stated that it was public knowledge that Mrs Quaye “since becoming the MP has fought with many members of the traditional authority in the constituency”.

“We are also aware of her insults on the clergymen within the constituency, especially the Nungua District Methodist Pastor”, they indicated adding that “elected assembly members within the constituency have not been spared by her”.

Mr Afrifa added that the MP allegedly caused the mass dismissal of casual workers at the Krowor Municipal Assembly few weeks to the elections, because according to her “they supported her opponent in the party’s parliamentary primaries”.

“She will go down in history as the only MP who goes around issuing open threats to polling stations executives and electoral area coordinators she perceived not to be her supporters”.

They stressed that her inability to reach out to the rank and file of the party, including the grassroots caused the party’s defeat.

Party members carried placards through the principal streets of the constituency.

Some of the placards read, “insulting party folks is Afoley’s routine behaviour”, “Afoley’s Saiko caused us along the coastal belt”, and “Afoley’s disrespect to the chiefs caused us the seat in Krowor”.

Others read, “Afoley oooo no more taking photos when giving help”, “Afoley ooo the gods are not asleep”, and “Afoley disrespected our imams in the Zongo”.