Brogya Genfi disqualified in Suame NDC primary

Mr. Ernest Brogya Genfi, Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been disqualified from contesting the parliamentary primaries by the Suame constituency executives.

Nurudeen Haruna told a press conference in Kumasi that by the close of nominations on September 17, Brogya Genfi had not met the requirements laid down in the party’s guidelines, besides not meeting the deadline for the submission of nomination forms.

Mr. Genfi had not submitted his form, leaving Mr. Francis Dodovi the only candidate to have met the requirements. According to the constituency scribe of the party, aspirants basically needed not less than 128 card-bearing members to endorse their nominations, and a bank draft for GH¢10,000, which could not be provided by Mr. Genfi upon scrutiny.

Secretary Haruna explained that a serious check by the constituency executives, following the submission of nomination forms, indicated that Mr. Genfi’s nomination forms were fraught with false data, and that 122 out of the 128 guarantors were alien to the Suame NDC, and that most of the signatures were forged.

One of the branch executives, Cosmos Bayor, with ID card number 309/4, who allegedly endorsed Mr. Genfi’s forms, is said to be dead. In the face of the mistakes thus detected, Mr. Brogya Mensah’s nominations were returned to him shortly after he had submitted them and requested to correct the anomalies, but he failed to submit them, neither did he pay the GH¢10,000 filing fee.

The Suame NDC Secretariat has thus disqualified Mr. Brogya Genfi from the race saying he has not been cleared as the party’s parliamentary aspirant. It has, therefore, affirmed that Mr. Francis Dodovi, who is also the Suame constituency organiser of the NDC remains the sole candidate for the Suame constituency NDC primaries on November 7.

Mr. Amadu Ali, Constituency Chairman, also disclosed that the Suame NDC constituency executives would take a decision regarding the forgery charge against the failed aspirant.

The position of the constituency executives follows alleged claims by Mr. Genfi on social media that he had submitted his nomination forms and had been cleared to contest the NDC primary.

Mr. Genfi is also reportedly claiming that his candidature is being backed by the national executives of the party, and that he still qualifies to contest the slot, but Constituency Secretary Haruna says Mr. Genfi is simply disqualified for failing to meet the requirements of the party.

Meanwhile, Mr. Francis Dodovi, an aspiring parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has threatened to annex the Suame parliamentary seat from the Minority Leader through what he calls scientific campaigning to improve the lot of the people.

He promised to work tirelessly to ensure that the NDC’s votes in Suame would be increased significantly in 2016, so that the party’s dream of amassing one million votes in the Ashanti Region would be realised.

Dodovi complained: “Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the incumbent MP for Suame who doubles as Minority Leader, has failed the people of Suame constituency for almost 20 years now,” hence his aspiration to contest the parliamentary polls to unseat him and lead the people in the constituency.

The aspirant noted that Suame Magazine, as the biggest industrial hub which contributes to the economy, has a lot of challenges which need to be addressed. He said it is high time the incumbent MP is made to account for his 20-year stewardship to the constituents. Dodovi has given the assurance that he would give the Suame Magazine area a facelift to befit its status.