Ketu South defeated NDC parliamentary aspirant goes independent

Agbozume (V/R), Sept 27, GNA - Mr Charles Nypson Agbagedy, a candidate defeated in the Ketu South National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary this year, on Friday announced his intention to go independent in the December elections.

Agbagedy, 54, a tutor and author, lost with 86 votes to Albert Zigah, a transport owner who polled 95 votes on June 19 in a primary in which three others also participated.

Zigah's victory sparked off demonstrations in the constituency by some of the defeated candidates and their supporters.

They accused the party executive of favouring Zigah in the vetting ahead of the primary, alleged that the winner is a wrong selection by the delegates and that he cannot be effective in parliament. Agbagedy's declaration at a rally of his supporters at Agbozume is a pointer that all is still not well within the party in the constituency.

He however expressed his strong backing for the ideals of the NDC and appealed to his followers to vote massively for Professor Atta Mills, the party's presidential candidate in December polls.

He said his decision was in response to the calls by the silent majority who he said, "need a multi-talented man of vision and high sense of responsibility" to redeem not only the NDC but also the area as a whole by leading them independently in the 2004 polls. "We must fight to eliminate plutocracy and the incompetence engulfing the area", Mr Agbagedy said.

He and his followers were of the view that current Ghanaian parliament and politics is beyond what pertained some decades ago, requiring only people capable of delivering the goals to be sent there. He said the constituency should no longer be saddled with people who cannot deliver the people out of the doldrums. "True democracy, the bedrock of development, is being thrown to the dogs and incompetence is being propagated as the ideal in the area."