Confusion at Ashaiman NDC primary

The parliamentary primary of the Ashaiman constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which took place at Ashaiman last Saturday, practically became bloody when two men who claimed to be delegates were prevented from voting.

While delegates claimed that they did not know the two, Saviour Atsu and Ibrahim Issah, the constituency executives said the two were legitimate delegates.

National and regional executives of the party, including Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, national 1st vice chairman and Mr. Acquaye Thompson, Greater Accra regional chairman, had to hold consultations with the three contestants namely; Ibrahim Baidoo, Anthony Afenyo and Hon. Alfred Agbesi, the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, before the two were allowed to cast their votes.

The charged crowd swarmed the high table where top party members such as Nii Laryea Afotry Agbo, MP for Kpone-Katamanso constituency and Ibrahim Bawah, the constituency secretary among others, expressed their dissatisfaction over the turn of events.

However, the timely intervention of police personnel detailed to keep law and order at the venue of the programme brought proceedings under control to pave the way for the voting to continue.

At the end of it all, the sitting MP was retained with 96 out of a total 146 votes, while his two challengers, Baidoo and Afenyo managed 27 and 19 votes respectively.

Out of the 146 delegates who were expected to cast their votes, three could not turn up and one was rejected, leaving 142 delegates to determine who should contest on the ticket of the party in the December 2008 parliamentary elections.

Hon. Agbesi assured the delegates that he would continue with the good works he had started and appealed to the delegates to unite all factions and camps in the constituency after the primary and come together to ensure success for the party in the upcoming elections.

He said the victory is not for him alone but also for the delegates, the party and for Ghana. He further appealed to the supporters not to repeat the confusion that happened during the elections since it can mar the image of the party and make people believe that the NDC is a violent party.

The sitting MP thanked all the delegates for giving him another opportunity to lead the party in the forthcoming election and also to all those who helped in one way or the other to make his victory a reality.

The constituency secretary also revealed that the seven years in opposition has been very difficult years for the party and therefore they were leaving no stone unturned to ensure that they get power back, come December 2008.

He, however, warned that the party will not tolerate any of the defeated candidates who attempt to go independent, adding that the good people of Ghana have now found Prof. Atta Mills as the key to their suffering and are prepared to vote for him.

He called on Ghanaians to repose their confidence in the NDC and give the party another opportunity to lead the country out of the doldrums which the NPP has dumped Ghanaians into, because the party has a good driver in the person of its flagbearer, Prof. Mills, to drive the nation to the Promised Land.