Pressure mounts on Azong to abandon re-election bid

There is intense pressure on the People’s National Convention Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South Constituency in the Upper East region, Alhassan Azong to rescind his decision to seek for re-election in the November 7 polls.

What makes the MP’s situation more precarious is the fact that, the pressure is coming from some of his own party members, including some national executives and some party bigwigs.

What must have been the reason for the leadership of the PNC to persuade Mr. Azong who is also the Minister in-charge of Public Sector Reforms not to seek re-election, according to our sources, was the failure of the MP to honour his numerous campaign promises he made to his constituents and also help resource the party at the grass roots, particularly in the three Northern regions.

“In this game (referring to politics) one needs to be smart and that is what we should do this time. We should bargain for some appointments from the ruling government (National Democratic Congress) through lobbing, which is accepted in politics”, the sources said.

Speaking in an interview with this reporter over the weekend to a leading member of the PNC who pleaded to speak on condition of anonymity, could not understand why Mr. Azong should put himself up for re-election after “disappointing our party”.

According to the PNC kingpin, Mr Azong was supposed to use his parliamentary and ministerial positions to make the party more visible and attractive so as to help it increase its seats in the seventh parliament of the Fourth Republic.

But that, the source said, the incumbent MP for Builsa South has failed miserably, an opportunity the source believed he would not get it again.

“We thought his appointment as a minister would soar the image of our party, but this is complete opposite of our thought”, the source lamented.

His appointment, the source pointed out, was a great opportunity for him to have made himself visible by implementing lots of the ruling government’s programmes, so that it would have been difficult for the governing party to put somebody forward to contest him.

“Now we have no choice than to ask Mr. Azong to abandon his ambition, so that we can probably negotiate with the NDC for any future appointments”, the source told this reporter.

“It is for his own interest to see reason to this arrangement else, he will be politically extinguished”, the source added.

When this reporter tried to reach him on Sunday, February 14, 2016 for his response all telephones were off.