Former Greater Accra Chairman of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Crabbe, has described as a “joke”, an internal proposal suggesting that the party’s current Members of Parliament (MPs) go unopposed for 2016.
The proponents of the suggestion argue that the move, if implemented, will help reduce the cost of organising primaries and also whittle down tension ahead of 2016.
Some party members, including former Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Greater Accra Chairman Mike Ampong and some youth groups, have strongly kicked against the proposal.
The party’s national executive committee has, however, described as “misinformation”, claims by the dissenters that the proposal is part of a grand scheme to entrench the MPs and by extension, the 2012 flagbearer and the current national executives on the party ahead of 2016.
Mr Crabbe, who recently offered to bankroll the party’s congress, says side-stepping the Constitution will bode ill for the NPP.
His reaction to the proposal, when he spoke to XYZ Breakfast show host, Moro Awudu on Friday, October 4, 2013 was this: “…Come on! What a joke!”
As far as he is concerned, such a move risks reversing the democratic efforts of the party’s forebears, including J.B. Danquah, Kofi Abrefa Busia and S. D. Dombo.
Mr Crabbe, who lost the last chairmanship race to current Chair Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey also says he intends running for the second time.
