Drama in NPP’s 'World Bank' over Parliamentary primaries

There is a raging drama in the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region considered as the World Bank of the party following controversy over the imposition of parliamentary candidates against the wish of delegates.

Whereas the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi and his executives have vowed not to open up the three orphan constituencies for contest, the National hierarchy of the party appears to be on the other side.

This makes the battle for who to represent the NPP in orphan constituencies in Ashanti region getting interesting by the day with the National Election Directorate describing the move by the Regional Executives as unconstitutional.

It would be recalled that Chairman under the guise of a unanimous executive committee decision had tried to prevent interested individuals from contesting his preferred candidates, an allegation he denied.

But a group calling itself Patriotic Youth Alliance (PYA) accused the regional chairman, Benard Antwi-Boasiako, affectionately called Wontumi of ‘mafia’ tactics.

The group in a strongly worded statement on the 18th of July, asked the chairman to back off and allow the process to go on smoothly.

It has however emerged that Manaf Ibrahim picked his nomination forms from the national secretariat of the party and has since filed same after there were machinations from the constituency office to deny him the opportunity

In the Ejura-Sekyeredumase constituency, Secretary Ms Gifty Ndoma also picked her nomination forms from the national secretariat after being denied at the local level as a result of Wontumi’s directive.

Ms Gifty Ndoma alleged that chairman Wontumi refused to give her the forms and so she was requested to pick the forms at the national office.

Meanwhile a party officer who spoke to us on condition of strict anonymity, expressed his disquiet about the turn of events and believes the party’s democratic credentials have been soiled by the Ashanti regional executive committee.

He couldn’t understand why the only woman in the contest would be frustrated when the party has over the years touted itself as a party of democracy.