“Kufour’s Buttocks” Beats Kofi Jumah

Madam Patricia Appiagyei aka Mama Pat has done it again. She has beaten the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Maxwell Kofi Jumah aka Kofi Ghana, for the Asokwa Constituency seat by 275 to 139 votes in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries, held last Saturday.

Before last Saturday’s verdict, Kofi Jumah had reacted to Mama Pat’s declaration to contest the seat (Asokwa) that the seat was not up in exchange for sexual favours. Apparently, Jumah was insinuating that she (Mama Pat) had held portfolios in the past not on merit, but based on her physical attributes accentuated by a well-endowed backside that had captured the minds of the appointing authorities then led by ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor.

“MP akongua no enti se KMA die no a ye de ye to gye no” Kofi Jumah said in Twi, literally meaning that the MP’s seat is not something one can use her buttocks to get. The ex-taxi driver in America said this on a Kumasi-based radio station. Mama Pat seems to be cruising up the political ladder with so much ease to the discomfort of Kofi Jumah, who sometime ago got her disqualified from contesting him for the Asokwa seat because she had contested the Asawase Constituency seat before. Her last political appointment before the NPP went into opposition was the Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolis. Before then, she was the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister. She has been in Accra since the defeat of the NPP, and works with a financial company off the Independence Avenue, near the headquarters of the Agriculture Development Bank.

Before the 2008 presidential elections run-off, Madam Appiagyei was instrumental in the release of jailed taxi drivers, to enable them to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate of the NPP. The taxi drivers, who got jailed because they were unable to pay court fines for various traffic offences, after their release, were also given free fuel to entice them to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo. Dr. K. K. Sarpong, then the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), is believed to have, in collaboration with Madam Appiagyei, made available copious amounts of petrol to the taxi drivers. Dr. Sarpong is currently the chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club. He is believed to be a very good friend of Mr. Ato Awhoi, a leading member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and currently the board chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC). There are tales about Madam Appiagyei’s marital status. While some say that she is unmarried, others told The Herald, that she is the third wife of Dr. K.K. Sarpong. She appeared to be favoured at every turn of the road during ex-president Kufour’s tenure in office. She was among those who benefitted from large tracts of state lands allocated by the Kufuor administration at Denyame- Kumasi for a ridiculous cost of GH¢1, 000.00. At the time, private lands in the area were going for hundreds of thousands of United States Dollars. Kofi Jumah, a past Marxist student- of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), before entering Parliament in 2004 and becoming Deputy Minister of Local Government, was the Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolis. He was succeeded by Mama Pat, who has now unseated him for the Asokwa seat. It is believed that Kofi Jumah had fallen out with ex-president Kufuor, and Mama Pat was in his (Kufuor’s) good books, hence the derogatory comment he made in reaction to the latter’s intention to contest his seat. To many, this perception is further underscored by Jumah’s absence at ex-President Kufuor’s birthday bash on December 7, 2010. Meanwhile, other results of last Saturday’s primaries were intriguing: Madam Frances Essiam, has won the Adentan seat in the Greater Accra Region. She beat her closest rival, Buabeng Asamoah, by 129 to 64 votes.

Adwoa Safo Adjei has also beaten Mike Ocquaye Jnr., the son of the incumbent MP for the Dome Kwabenya Constituency, to emerge winner. In the Eastern Region, the incumbent MP for Akim Abuakwa North, Prof. Samuel Kwadwo Amoako, with just two (2) votes, lost his seat to the former MP for the area J. B. Danquah, who polled 296.

The Aburi-Nsawam NPP seat was retained by Mr. O.B Amoah, polling 544 votes whilst Magnus Opare Asamoah polled 214 votes.

The vice-president of FIDA International, Ursula Owusu, has won the Ablekuma South Constituency primary. With 401 votes, Ursula Owusu beat her contender, Benjamin Ashitey Brown who had 190 votes. The MP for Okaikoi North in the Greater Accra Region, Elizabeth Kwachoe Tawiah Sackey, became a casualty after polling 212 votes as against 350 by Patrick Yaw Boamah. Mr. Kofi Ayisi Tete polled 65 votes, Alex Lovejoy Armah had one vote whilst Amos Opei Kofi Okai recorded zero. Victoria Bright who lost the NPP primary in the Okaikoi South Constituency to her close contender, Ahmed Arthur, has rejected the result.

Adding to the casualty list is the incumbent Member of Parliament for the Fomena Constituency, Nana Abu Bonsra who failed in his re-election bid to Nana Atta Boafo.

The incumbent MP for New Juaben South Constituency, Beatrice Boateng, also lost to Dr. Matt Asibey Yeboah. Dr. Yeboah polled 240 to beat Madam Boateng who managed 174 votes. Mr. Michael Oteng Adu came third with 110 votes.

In the Suhum Constituency, Deputy Minority Chief Whip and incumbent MP, Fred Opare Ansah, has been maintained to lead the party for another term. He was the underdog in the race as he is reported not to be “Nana Addo’s boy” because he favoured Alan Kyemanteng for the NPP presidential slot in April last year.

Three- time MP for the Cape Coast Constituency, Christine Churcher, surprisingly lost to Alfred Kojo Thompson. Christine Churcher polled 148 votes while Mr. Thompson polled 198 votes.

Maverick politician and former Communications Director of the Akufo-Addo campaign team in 2008, Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, who was tipped to win, shockingly lost the Abura-Asebu Kwamankese primary. But former Tourism Minister Asamoah-Boateng, was given an overwhelming endorsement by delegates of the Mfantseman West Constituency with over 640 votes, the last vote bagged by a candidate. His main contender, Ralph Inkoom, got 21 votes.

The incumbent MP for the Abirem Constituency has won the primaries, beating her closest rivals Mr Osei Frimpong and Grace Omaboe, popularly known as Maame Dokono.

Mrs. Esther Obeng Dapaah polled 161 whilst Mr Seth Frimpong polled 95. Maame Dokono came last, with 67 votes.

In the Ashanti Region, Mathew Opoku Prempeh, also retained his seat for the Manhyia Constituency, polling 509 votes to 140 votes polled by his challenger, Kwabena Amofa Sarpong.

Minority Leader in Parliament and incumbent NPP MP for the Suame Constituency, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, in the Ashanti Region has also won the primaries.

Former Minister for Roads and Transport under the erstwhile NPP administration, Dr Richard Anane, has won the primaries, polling 236 votes for the Nyiaeso Constituency: his rival Nana Ama Nyarko, polled 94 votes.

Incumbent MP for Kwadaso, Akoto Owusu Afriyie, has also been maintained by delegates to lead the party for another term. He polled 276 votes to Josephine Hilda Addo’s 57. However, Madam Addo is protesting against the results, claiming that due processes were not followed.

In the Ahafo South Constituency in the Ashanti Region, another incumbent MP, Mr. Steven Balado Manu, has lost to Francis Manu-Adabo.

Papa Owusu Ankomah has won the Sekondi Constituency.

The former Central Regional Minister under the erstwhile Kufuor administration has also been given the nod as the Parliamentary candidate for the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Constituency in the Central Region.

Mr. Ato Arthur was the only person who filed to contest, and has been acclaimed to lead the NPP in the 2012 elections.

NPP Member of Parliament for the Okere Constituency, Dan Botwe, has also been acclaimed by party executives to represent the party in Okere in the 2012 elections. The former NPP General Secretary stood unopposed, but had to be endorsed by the executives in the Constituency, which was duly done on Saturday.

In the Asuagyaman Constituency, Kofi Ameyaw Osei has beaten his sole contender, Paul Ansah, by 458 to 135 votes.