Kofi Totobi Quakyi
A former National Security Minister and a leading light of the NDC, Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi, has called for sanity in the style of politicking by aspiring 2024 Parliamentary Candidates of the NDC and their campaign teams in the Essikado Ketan Constituency in the Western Region ahead of the party’s primaries in May this year.
“I will emphasize that aspirants have a shared responsibility in creating an enabling environment for consensus building, treating everyone with respect, and avoiding unnecessary suspicion and character assassination. …the insults, blatant lying, insinuations, and ugly personal attacks should cease” he cautioned and went on to make a special plea for the aspirants and their campaign teams to stop using his name to court for votes” he said in a statement he issued on Wednesday.
“I repeat my request to aspirants and their campaign teams to stop invoking my credentials for votes. My hallowed name is entitled to some rest, he said.
Below is the full text of the statement titled “A CONVERSATION ON PRIMARIES IN NDC ESSIKADU KETAN CONSTITUENCY (EKC)” issued by the NDC leading light to his constituents;
Greetings, Let me begin with a reminder to stakeholders in EKC that NDC primaries are open to all who qualify as per party guidelines. Our party constitution does not forbid anyone from contesting orphaned constituencies or places with sitting MPs. Our undisputed, presumptive flag bearer, President John Mahama himself, is facing a contest which many like me, consider unnecessary because overwhelming outcome has never been in doubt. But that is the nature of the democratic politics to which we all subscribe.
In the Western region, the 2020 PC for Ahanta West, who lost narrowly, is facing a challenge, and so is the 2020 PC for Mpohor Wassa, who the Constituency Chairman is contesting. The sitting MP for Amenfi Central has a contest on his hands, and so it is for the MP for Evalue Dwira whose challenger happens to be the wife of the Constituency Chairman. The MP for Jomoro, who, after the 2020 election spent almost two years in court defending herself against false dual nationality claim , is facing a contest. In Ayawaso West Wugon, the 2020 PC is in a battle with no other person than the best man at his wedding.
Challenges persist across the length and breadth of the country, and EKC is no exception. Quite frankly, the challenges here in EKC are not so exceptional to assume the level of a national crisis. Progress is being made in other constituencies in this region towards reaching compromises because there is a willingness to dialogue, and there is all round respect. Incidentally, I am very involved in those efforts. Can we do the same in EKC? I hope so. But first, the insults, blatant lying, insinuations, and ugly personal attacks should cease. In this regard, I repeat my request to aspirants and their campaign teams to stop invoking my credentials for votes. My hallowed name is entitled to some rest.
Five aspirants, including the 2020 NDC Parliamentary candidate for EKC, have, at various times over the past several weeks, called on me as one of the elders in the community to formally announce their interest in the EKC primaries. All the courtesy visits and ensuing conversations have been very cordial, even as I know that party leadership is the body that will ultimately pronounce on the qualification or otherwise of any aspirant.
I will emphasize that aspirants have a shared responsibility in creating an enabling environment for consensus building, treating everyone with respect, and avoiding unnecessary suspicion and character assassination. 6. I will continue to open my doors to constituency executives, all aspirants/ candidates, and especially the party faithful who deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.
The 2024 election is a must-win election. Together we can build the Ghana we want. Long live EKC NDC
Kofi Totobi Quakyi Mount Pleasant, Essikadu. March 15, 2023
