Step aside for a new face - Former NPP Vice Chair tells Mireku Duker

Former Western Regional First Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Kwesi Ansah, has urged former Tarkwa-Nsuaem Member of Parliament, George Mireku Duker, to step aside and allow a new candidate to lead the party’s bid to reclaim the constituency in the 2028 general election.

Nana Ansah, who is also the Chief of Tarkwa Brahabebom and a former Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency Chairman, said feedback from his engagements with chiefs, community leaders and constituents suggests that the NPP needs a new face if it is to regain the parliamentary seat.

According to him, Mireku Duker should accept the outcome of the 2024 election and consider supporting another candidate rather than seeking to contest the seat again.

“Based on my engagements with chiefs and members of the community, even if Hon. Duker contests ten times, he will lose ten times. It is therefore important for him to allow a new face to represent the party,” Nana Ansah said.

He specifically endorsed former Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Public Relations Officer, Fiifi Boafo, describing him as a personality with considerable goodwill in the constituency.

“Thankfully, Fiifi Boafo, who is lacing his boots to contest the seat, is hugely admired in the constituency and can easily win the seat. So why don’t we give him the chance?” he asked.

‘Duker should think beyond Parliament’

Nana Ansah said Duker’s decision should also take into account the broader interests of the NPP, particularly the party’s ambition to return to government.

He argued that if Duker genuinely wants to contribute to a victory for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP, he should consider supporting a candidate who, in his assessment, can improve the party’s fortunes in Tarkwa-Nsuaem.

“If Hon Duker cares about Dr Bawumia’s victory, he must not contest but rather allow a candidate who can improve the fortunes of the party and improve his own chances,” Nana Ansah said.

He suggested that an NPP victory at the national level could potentially create opportunities for Duker to serve in another capacity in government.

2024 defeat

Nana Ansah also pointed to Duker’s defeat in the 2024 parliamentary election as an indication that the political dynamics in the constituency had changed.

Duker, who had represented Tarkwa-Nsuaem since 2016, lost the seat to the NDC’s Issah Salifu Taylor in the 2024 election.

Officially reported results show that Taylor secured 35,820 votes, while Duker polled 27,474 votes.

Nana Ansah acknowledged Duker’s contributions during his tenure but argued that his defeat, despite those efforts, should prompt reflection on whether he remains the right candidate for the constituency.

“Despite all the work Duker did as MP, he was voted out. That must point to the fact that his days are over,” he said.

‘Give Fiifi Boafo the opportunity’

Nana Ansah urged NPP delegates in Tarkwa-Nsuaem to consider Boafo when the party holds its parliamentary primary.

He said the former COCOBOD communications executive had demonstrated an ability to connect with people and could provide the fresh leadership he believes the constituency needs.

He also maintained that the NPP’s focus should be on rebuilding the party’s grassroots base and presenting a candidate capable of mobilising support across the constituency.

Boafo has emerged as one of the personalities being discussed ahead of the NPP’s parliamentary contest in Tarkwa-Nsuaem for the 2028 election.

The constituency is currently represented by Issah Salifu Taylor, who won the seat for the NDC in the 2024 general election, ending Duker’s tenure as MP.

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