George Kwame Aboagye
Delegates of the opposition National Democratic Congress in Ahanta West Constituency of the Western Region have re-elected former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye as 2020 parliamentary candidate for the party.
His election followed the parliamentary elections conducted on Saturday, August 24, 2019 in almost all the constituencies across the country.
In Western Region, the party conducted the parliamentary primaries in only six (6)constituencies out of the (17) seventeen constituencies.
The six constituencies. were; Jomoro, Ahanta West, Sekondi, Shama, Amenfi West and Amenfi Central.
Aspirants in the Prestea Huni-Valley, Effia constituencies however contested the elections unopposed.
However in Ellembelle, where former Minister of Petroleum under John Mahama-led administration, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah is seeking re-election, it had been put on hold with Mpohor Constituency.
Nominations were opened and prospective aspirants were vetted in Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira, Kwesiminstim, Amenfi East, Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Essikado-Ketan Constituencies but their elections have been postponed to 7th September 2019.
The Ahanta West Constituency has been one of the swing area which has swayed to the direction of both the govering New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Hon. George Kwame Aboagye, who is coming into the picture, lost the Ahanta West parliamentary seat to the NPP in 2016. The seat he won in 2012 is currently being occupied by Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum.
At the end of the keenly contested parliamentary primaries held at Agona Nkwanta over the weekend, the former MP, Hon. Kwame Aboagye emerged victorious. He secured 533 votes to beat his competitors, Ebenezer Kofi Aidoo (current Marketing Manager for Medeama Sporting Club) who had 321 votes and Ebenezer Essien (current NDC Deputy Western Regional Communications Officer) who also managed to poll 294 votes to become last.
In all, 1,159 delegates making up the electoral college, voted for the three (3) aspirants that battled it out for the vacancy in the area which was supervised by Mr. Mr. Randy Sokpeh, the Municipal Director of Electoral Commission (EC) in the Ahanta West Constituency and witnessed by the NDC's Western Regional Executive. The poll witnessed 11 spoiled ballot papers.
Addressing the charged atmosphere after the polls, Hon. Kwame Aboagye thanked the delegates for electing him to battle it out for the Ahanta West parliamentary seat in 2020.
He also thanked the Constituency Executive, Constituency Election Committee and the media for the unflinching support offered him.
The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Kwame Aboagye seized the opportunity to outline his next line of action, and pledged to welcome and work with the defeated aspirants to recapture the seat in 2020.
He said the victory was not for him alone but a victory for all NDC and therefore called on all the party's faithfuls to rally behind him to achieve the goal ahead.
"The primaries is over and I have put aside all that transpired during the campaign. I pledge to welcome and work with the other aspirants that contested the primaries. Thank you all for the victory but I call it NDC victory", he said.
He emphasized that the NPP had failed to develop the Constituency adding that the projects which were started by the John Mahama-led administration have been abandoned.
He bemoaned how the Akufo-Addo-led Government has failed to develop the Mahama Day SHS at Sankor. He said currently the school doesn't have electricity and potable water.
He said the second coming of John Mahama as a president would address these challenges facing the school.
Hon. Kwame Aboagye pledged to hit the grounds running to recapture the seat he lost to the NPP in 2016, noting that in 2020 Ahanta West would fall to NDC.
