Veteran MP Joe Baidoe-Ansah defeated in Kwesimintim NPP primaries

Incumbent NPP MP for Kwesimintim Joe Baidoe-Ansah has lost the parliamentary primaries to Joseph Mensah, a candidate whose disqualification by the party was reversed by the court.

By a margin of 65 votes, the Director of Training at the Accra depot of the Ghana Ports Authority Joe Mensah beat the veteran and favoured incumbent in a competitive primaries that ended Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Mensah polled 187 votes with the incumbent trailing with 122 votes. Joe-Baidoe-Ansah entered Parliament in 2001 when the NPP first won a general election in the Fourth Republic. He was aiming for 16 years in Parliament with his fourth attempt.

But relatively unknown Joe Mensah put his rival's parliamentary ambition to the sword in a victory that sparked jubilation for his supporters.

Photo: Celebration for Joe Mensah's supporters
Months ago his bid to go to parliament on the ticket of the NPP looked unlikely. He was only presented with a life-line opportunity to become an MP after an Accra High Court cleared him to contest the primaries which should have been held in June 2015.

He was disqualified during the vetting on the claim that he was not a member of the NPP.

“I am the chairman and I do not know him as a member of our party in the constituency. I only got to know him when he picked his form to contest the seat”, the constituency Chairman, Mr. Ransford Odame was reported by the Chronicle newspaper before the vetting.

The Constituency Vetting Committee said the candidate’s party identity cards were fake and he was also a former cadre who worked with the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) under leader, Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings.

The committee also claimed that he was also working for the interest of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The disqualification was upheld on appeal on two different occasions first by the regional appeals committee and then by the National Appeals committee.

The dogged candidate escalated his claim to contest in the party primaries to the Accra High Court where his claim was upheld .

With three days left for all aspirants to file their candidature with the Electoral Commission, Tuesday's primary could not have come a better time.

Joe Mensah would feel vindicated for his perserverance by the victory in a constituency which analysts say is a safe seat for the opposition NPP.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com