CocoBod Chief Caught In Electoral Storm

The Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Mr Kwame Sarpong, has waded into controversy following his attempt to ?pass through the back door? to contest the New NPP parliamentary primaries in the newly crated Kwadaso constituency in Kumasi.

The Heritage has, through its investigation, established that the Cocobod Chief Executive managed to manipulate the process and had his name included in the list of aspirants vying for the Kwadaso constituency seat on the ticket of the NPP.

This development has provoked a series of agitation from the rank and file of the party supporters in the constituency who think that Mr Sarpong is virtually ?buying? his way to contest the primaries. The alleged that besides the fact that he is not a registered voter in the constituency having registered in Accra in the recently held voters registration exercise, Mr Sarpong also failed to meet the June 12, 2004 deadline set for the submission of applications of aspirants interested in contesting the seat.

They claim that Mr. Sarpong was able to manipulate the system with the active connivance of some key officials of the party in the region. Those aspiring to contest the seat on the ticket of the NPP are Kwame Boafo, Daniel Coleman, Ms. Hilda Josephine Addo and Dr. Osei Akoto. The rest are Washington Adubofuor and Agyei Bempong, Mr Sarpong?s candidature brings the number of persons contesting the Kwadaso constituency to six.

The NPP youth in the constituency, apparently peeved by the ?illegal? inclusion of the Cocobod Chief Executive in the parliamentary nominations, have vowed to disrupt any primaries to be held to elect a candidate for the party, which would include Mr Sarpong.