Pandemonium Rocks NPP At Effia Kwesimintsim

PANDEMONIUM HAS started reigning in the Effia Kwesimintsim constituency branch of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), following alleged corrupt practices or behind-the-scenes manipulations that have characterized the selection of the polling station executives to constitute the electoral college for the impending constituency executive elections.

Chronicle has already learnt from an unimpeachable source that because of the alleged underhand dealings being engineered by some of the regional executives, acts which are throwing the unity of the party in the constituency into disarray, some of the party faithful there may likely file a writ at a court today to place an injunction on the constituency congress.

The purpose of the injunction will be to enable the aggrieved supporters who are challenging some of the names in the electoral college register to seek redress over the issue at the appropriate quarters.

In April this year, some of the party supporters in the constituency took the regional executives to court over these alleged fraudulent practices that characterized the selection of the polling station chairmen to constitute the electoral college for the election of constituency executives at that time.

After two or three hearings in court, the case was withdrawn and the regional executives instructed to look into the grievances of the complaining party supporters.

Mr. George Offeigbu, a former regional executive was subsequently tasked to go into the case and possibly compile a new register for the election that had then been postponed.

Chronicle again learnt that, though Mr. Offiegbu has now compiled a new register after visiting all the polling stations, some of the names in the new register have once again been changed.

The regional organizer, Mr. Kojo Acquah, and the Sekondi-Takoradi metro chief executive, Mr. Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, are alleged to be the brain behind the change of the names to favour their candidates contesting the election, which comes off tomorrow.

Kojo Acquah could not be reached on his cell phone for his reaction to the allegations that have been leveled against him when this reporter tried to call him yesterday. He was reported to have traveled.

Mr.Philip Nkrumah was, however, available but he denied his involvement in the change of the names, if in deed such a change has occured.

The metro chief executive directed this reporter to see Mr. Offeigbu who he said had been tasked to compile a new register.

Nkrumah, however, said he is a supporter of the incumbent MP, Joe Baidoo Ansah, and had been rooting for his re-election.

In another development, an unconfirmed report has indicated that Mr. Baidoo Ansah might not contest the election again and that Mr. Nkrumah who was his mate at the Ahantaman Secondary School may take over from him.

Persistent cut of his cell phone line prevented this report from getting confirmation or denial of this rumour from the MP himself in Accra.

Some of the party supporters who spoke to the Chronicle said they suspect Mr. Nkrumah wants to contest the election, hence attempting to change the register to suit him.

The metro chief executive, however, told the Chronicle that he had not conceived any idea of contesting the seat and that he was only supporting the incumbent MP.

Some of the aggrieved supporters told Chronicle that in the parliamentary primaries held in the year 2000 for instance, names of some of the polling station chairmen who were going to cast their votes were changed at the last hour but they could not do anything as it was too late.

According to the party supporters, it was because of this bitter experience that some of them decided to take the party to court when they realized that names compiled by the regional organizer was incorrect as most of the qualified people were dropped for no apparent reason.

What appears now to have exacerbated the already tense situation preceding the congress is an allegation that some of the regional executives are backing some of the contestants in today's election and therefore doing everything possible to ensure that their favourites win the positions they are contesting.

When Mr. Offeigbu was contacted, he said nobody could change the names he has compiled to constitute the electoral college.

He said he had handed over the names to the regional organizer and this seemed to have fueled suspicion that he could change the names but he cannot do that.

Offeigbu said following the protest by some of the party supporters, most of the names, which were earlier compiled by the regional organizer, were cancelled and new ones put in place after he had conducted investigation into the protest.

According to him, the new register was read out to the supporters at the constituency meeting held recently and nobody protested against it, except a few from three polling stations.

He noted that none of the chairmen from the three polling stations would be allowed to vote, if they failed to get the right person as being claimed by the parties involved in the protest.