NPP vows not to allow Agyei-Baah to contest the primary

Nkawkaw (ER), Nov 19, GNA - The Nkawkaw Constituency Executive Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have said they would not allow Mr Seth Agyei-Baah, the Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, to contest the parliamentary primary on the ticket of the party in the area.

They said they would also not allow the National Executive Committee members of the party to postpone holding of the parliamentary primary in the constituency to the last quarter of 2012 to avoid the situation where Mr Agyei-Baah would vacate his seat to enable him to contest the parliamentary primary on NPP ticket.

These were contained in a protest letter to the National Chairman of the party, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, which was signed by the constituency chairman and secretary respectively, Mr Osei Ameyaw and Mr Amoako Mensah and 32 other executive members and polling station coordinators.

Copies of the protest letters were sent to Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, presidential candidate of the party, the General Secretary, the Eastern Regional Chairman, Eastern Regional Secretary of the party and Mr Seth Agyei-Baah also known as "Shaba".

The protest letter said the constituency had never dreamt of accepting the MP into the party let alone to allow him to contest the parliamentary election.

The letter said as far as the constitution of the party was concerned, neither the national headquarters nor the regional structures could accept Mr Agyei-Baah as a member of the party.

"Accepting the MP in the party contravenes article 97/18 of the 1992 constitution where the Electoral Commission would have to declare the constituency parliamentary seat vacant for by-election to be held." The letter also denied the MP's contribution to the party in the constituency and challenged him to come out with any meaningful contribution he had made to the party.

When Mr Agyei-Baah was contacted, he said though he had received a copy of the protest letter it was not addressed to him but rather to the national chairman of the party and would come out at the appropriate time to respond to the accusations.