NPP polls: Ellembelle DCE maintained as parliamentary candidate despite strong opposition

Delegates of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ellembelle Constituency of Western Region have retained the District Chief Executive (DCE) for area, Francis Kwasi Bonzoh popular known as "34-kwa" as their parliamentary candidate.

The party conducted its parliamentary primaries on Saturday, September 28, 2019, in almost all the orphaned Constituencies across the country.

In Western Region, the party held parliamentary primaries in four Constituencies out of the seventeen Constituencies.

The four Constituencies were; Ellembelle, Amenfi West, Amenfi Central and Amenfi East.

The aspirant in Wassa East Constituency, Wilson Arthur (DCE) however contested unopposed.

In the case of Ellembelle, the primaries were held at Nkroful Agriculture Senior High School auditorium. It was under heavy security presence.

The current DCE for Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh who won, has been running unopposed during primaries since 2012 on the ticket of the NPP.

Unfortunately, he and his party have not won the Ellembelle parliamentary seat before since 1992.

Consequently, the seat is currently being occupied by former Petroleum Minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah of NDC.

At the end of the keenly contested polls on Saturday, the Ellembelle DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh polled 359 votes to floor his main contenders, Anna Akaisi Meizah, the NPP Western Regional Treasurer who polled 262 votes and Isaac Menlah, the 2018 failed Constituency Chairman who managed to get 9 votes.

In all, 632 delegates making up the electoral college, voted for the three aspirants that battled it out for the parliamentary vacancy in the area. The election was supervised by Mr. Stephen Aidoo, the District Director of Electoral Commission (EC) in Ellembelle and monitored by the NPP's Western Regional Chairman, Mr. Francis Ndede Siah, and Western Regional Organizer, Abdul Ganiyu Mohammed.

At the end of the polls, only two spoiled ballot papers were recorded.

Speaking to the media in the midst of a charged atmosphere, after the elections, Kwasi Bonzoh who faced strong opposition for the first time in the history of Ellembelle NPP, thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to work with all the losers.



He also pledged his total commitment to liaise with the grassroots in order to build a united front to win the parliamentary seat for the first time in the history of Ghana's politics and increase the presidential votes of NPP in 2020.

The DCE, therefore, seized the charged atmosphere to urge all party faithfuls in the area including his main competitors to forge ahead in peace and unity and also work hard to beat the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah in 2020.

He observed that the delegates have spoken and all party members should respect their decision.

"We’ve worked hard for it. We’ve been in the trenches, and I believe the delegates have spoken", he said.

“The next thing for us is to match up against the NDC and win this seat for the first time for the New Patriotic Party" he added.

He admitted the contest wasn’t easy, adding “I want to thank the other aspirants for making me stronger”.

“In fact, they gave me a run for my money. They worked very hard... at some point, the people even thought they could unseat me but God has spoken”, he noted.

“… I have been playing the singular role in the previous elections but this time I have three more. I will bring everybody on board. The ultimate is to win the seat. Until we have won this seat, we will never relent”, he emphasized.

He disclosed to the media that the contractor who is supposed to reconstruct the deplorable Nkroful road was mobilising to site and pleaded with residents to remain calm.

He also disclosed that the government was constructing a 60-kilometre road in the northern part of the District popular called Aiyinasi North.

Kwasi Bonzoh concluded his speech by thanking the National Chairman of the party, Freddie Blay who nurtured him to become a great politician in Ghana and also called on the Constituents to rally solidly behind President Akufo-Addo to develop the District.