Catherine Afeku picks up nomination forms for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira area

The Constituency executives and polling station executives for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira of Western Region have voluntarily picked nomination forms for the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. Catherine Afeku to seek re-election.

The Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency has been one of the swing area which has swayed to the direction of both opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Catherine Afeku who is seeking for re-election for the third time, won the parliamentary seat for the first time for NPP in 2008 but lost it to NDC in 2012 and came back to win it in 2016.

The seat is being currently occupied by Catherine Afeku who is also the Minister of State at the Senior Minister Office.

On record, no sitting Member of Parliament for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency has won the seat for continuous two terms but Hon. Catherine Afeku had vowed to break the jinx.

The NPP has opened nomination forms for their sitting Members of Parliament and the party is expected to hold its parliamentary elections on Saturday, April 25, 2020

The NPP has I69 sitting Members of Parliament out of the total 275 seats in Parliament.

The party has already elected more than 95 Parliamentary candidates who would be contesting on its ticket in orphan constituencies (areas the party does not have sitting MPs).

The same April 25, 2020 date would also be used to elect a flagbearer for the party for Election 2020.

The opening of the nomination forms would close on February 20, 2020.

Picking of nomination forms by Executives

The occasion, which could be described as a rally, was characterized by a procession of NPP faithful, sympathizers and apprentices from the constituency who picked the nomination forms on her behalf through the principal streets of Axim amidst brass band music and dance.

Presenting the forms to Hon. Catherine Afeku at the forecourt of the Constituency office of the party over the weekend, the Constituency Youth Organiser, Samuel Dwomoh, disclosed to the charging gathering why they (Constituency Executives) together with the polling station executives contributed GHC22,000 to pick nomination forms for their sitting MP to lead the party into another victory.

He explained that they swore to declare their unflinching support for Hon. Catherine Afeku to lead the party because of what she had done for the Constituency so far.

"Today is a happy day for Constituency Officers, polling station Officers and for all people of Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency to support Hon. Catherine Afeku", he said.

"The reason is that we the Constituency Executives we have sworn that here in Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency nobody should contest Hon. Catherine Afeku because she is doing well, she has brought so many developmental projects into the Constituency", stated.

He, therefore, seized the charging atmosphere to call on the people of the area to rally behind her, adding that "four more deserve another, four more for Catherine Afeku, four more for Nana Addo".

He concluded that, "... because of the great love we have for her so we the Constituency Executives and polling station executives bought the forms for her free of charge, we know there is something good in her so we have to support her to run unopposed to continue her good works she has started".

Receiving the nomination forms, the MP for the area, Hon. Catherine Afeku gave thanks to the Constituency executives and polling station executives for contributing GHC22,000 to purchase forms for her to run again as their 2020 parliamentary candidate.

She gave a brief history of the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira parliamentary seat and said winning a parliamentary primaries doesn't automatically mean you have gone to Parliament but one needs to work harder.

"In Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira if you win a primaries, it doesn't mean you have won a national election, here is not like Ashanti Region but you have to work hard before you can go to Parliament", she admitted.

She disclosed that, "I was elected as an MP for this Constituency when Atta Mills was the President of Ghana and I did well in Parliament and you can check my track records in the parliamentary Hansard, I was the one who fought for the name Ajomoro to be added to Evalue Gwira Constituency and now called Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency".

"In 2012 I contested as an incumbent MP but the people said they like an NDC person because I was an opposition MP and we accepted and for good four years years we didn't hear our name in Parliament house and there was a report by Odikro that our MP was part of 19 silent MPs in the House. The NDC MP not make "THE" in Parliament", she continued.

"But in 2026, the good people of Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira brought me back to replace the NDC silent MP and from January 7, 2017 till date I have done a lot for this Constituency", she said.

She emphasized, "...and I thank the polling station executives, electoral area coordinators and Constituency Executives for picking nomination forms for me to seek re-election. This has not happened before for the whole Constituency Executives and polling station executives for contributing money for me to contest again".

She stated that this should tell everybody that the delegates have trust in her.

She also pledged to not disappoint the delegates and promised to use humility to serve them.

"We want everybody in Ghana to hear that for the first time in the history of Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira, Constituency Executives and polling station executives have picked nomination forms and paid all the money for their MP that their MP they endorsed her 100 percent, it goes a long way to tell you that they have faith in their MP".

She, therefore concluded by promising them, "I will not disappoint you, I will use humility to serve you".

On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Hon. Frank Okpenyen said Hon. Catherine Afeku deserved to be supported hence the Constituency and polling station executives contribution towards the victory of her.

He revealed that over 600 delegates voluntarily contributed to buy the forms for Hon. Catherine Afeku, adding that this was unprecedented.

He also used the platform given to him to declare his total support for Hon. Catherine Afeku to run unopposed.

He urged the party members in the area to respect everybody in the Constituency and try to win more souls for the party from different political parties.

The MCE called on the gathering to embrace the registration of the Ghana Card and register to benefit from its advantages.

As of the time of filing this story, only Hon. Catherine Afeku had picked nomination forms to contest in the upcoming parliamentary primaries.