Who Wins Tema West NPP Race?

Adwoa Amoako, Irene Naa Torshie-Addo and Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah

IRENE NAA Torshie-Addo, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West, would be facing yet another test in her political career today. The incumbent MP is being challenged by Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries.

But political analysts say the incumbent may scale through because the front of her challenger may be split as Adwoa Amoako, the third candidate, is likely to pull some voters along.

Tema West is one of the constituencies of the NPP where the parliamentary primaries were held on hold due to some bickering. The race for Klottey Korley in Accra and Kwesimintsim in the Western Region have been put off because of last-minute injunction by aggrieved party members.

A total of 810 delegates in Tema West are expected to cast their votes to elect a parliamentary candidate to represent the party in the 2016 general elections.

Voting is expected to begin at 7:00 am and close at 4:00 pm, barring any hitches, as all necessary electoral materials have reportedly been dispatched by the Electoral Commission (EC).

The Tema Regional Director of the EC, Watson Tizor Apentsui, has therefore entreated all stakeholders to cooperate with his outfit for a successful contest.

The candidates, according to the order in which they would appear on the ballot paper, are Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, a freight forwarder; Irene Naa Torshie-Addo; Adwoa Amoako, a former assembly member for Sakumono Electoral Area.

The run-up to the Tema West parliamentary primaries was characterised by accusations and counter accusations, speculations that some MPs were campaigning for a particular candidate and disqualification of other candidates for not nurturing the constituency.

Bigwigs of the NPP are expected to descend on the polling centre at State School for the Deaf at Adjei-Kojo to witness the election.

Spokeswoman for the Tema Regional Police Command, ASP Juliana Obeng, said security had been beefed up.

According to her, adequate uniform personnel with patrol vehicles would be deployed at vantage points to help curb any riotous situation.

She explained that the EC officials would also be provided with security until the electoral process was completed.

In a related development, two candidates are contesting the Tema Central parliamentary primaries.

The candidates, according to how they appear on the ballot paper, are Kofi Brako, the incumbent MP and Ramseur Agyemang Prempeh, his challenger.

Kwesimintsim Saga
Information reaching DAILY GUIDE yesterday indicated that the delegates in the Kwesimintsim constituency in the Western Region will not vote in the party's parliamentary primaries due to an interim injunction placed on the poll.

Joseph Mensah, one of the two parliamentary aspirants, together with two other plaintiffs, have served the NPP with a law suit restraining the defendants or their agents from conducting the constituency election.

The defendants in the case are the General Secretary of the NPP, the Western Regional executives and the regional director of the                             EC.

This followed rumours that Joseph Mensah, who is contesting the incumbent MP, Joe Baidoe-Ansah, had been disqualified and that Saturday’s exercise was going to be a popular acclamation for the sitting MP.

When DAILY GUIDE called the regional secretary of the party, Charles Bissue, for confirmation of the matter, he indicated that he was out of the region but had also heard of the action taken by Joe Mensah and some members of the party in the constituency.

He told DAILY GUIDE that he was yet to see the suit before any further comments.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema & Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi