NPP sitting MPs knocked out

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries for constituencies with sitting MPs have produced fresh faces, with some incumbents losing their bids to represent the party in the next Parliament.

A number of party big shots who wanted to make their maiden appearance in Parliament have had their hopes dashed, as they were given sound beating at their primaries.

Some of the incumbents who lost their bids are Victor Okuley Nortey, MP for Ablekuma Central; Samuel Nii Aryeetey Attoh, MP for Trobu Amasaman; J.B. Danquah, MP for Abuakwa North; Hilda Addo, MP for Kwadaso; and Andrew Kingsford Mensah, MP for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankesein in the Central Region.

Anna Nyamekye, MP for Jaman South in the Brong Ahafo Region and deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture was also beaten by a United States returnee, Yaw Aphul Mahama.

However, former Communications Minister and MP for Dome Kwabenya, Prof Mike Oquaye made mincemeat of his challenger, Adwoa Safo, daughter of Apostle Kwadwo Safo of the Kristo Asafo Church.

Prof Oquaye beat off a scare by the 27-year-old brilliant lawyer of Akyea, Zoe and Company, at the primary held yesterday. Adwoa's senior partner at the law firm, Atta Akyea is gunning for the Abuakwa South seat to replace the incumbent, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Incumbent MP for Ayawaso Central and Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye also handed down a heavy defeat to Archibald Kobina, Assemblyman for the Kokomlemle electoral area, at a primary organized at Alajo in Accra yesterday.

I.C. Quaye polled 65 while Achibald garnered 9 votes, with the third aspirant, Mohammed Quaye, Sheikh's brother, stepping down at the eleventh hour.

It was a nail-biting race between the incumbent MP for Bekwai, Kofi Adusei Poku and Chief Executive of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Joe Osei-Owusu who lost by a vote.

Hon Adusei Poku, deputy Minister of Fisheries, had 70 votes while Mr. Osei-Owusu polled 69 votes at the highly competitive primary held at Kokofu near Ashanti Bekwai.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that the DVLA boss' campaign team was contemplating lodging a complaint against the eligibility of some delegates who they claimed were not properly registered.

The controversial one man anti-corruption crusader, P.C. Appiah Ofori was retained unopposed for the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa seat.

The MP was endorsed by popular acclamation at a delegates' congress on Friday.

The race for the Obuasi seat was too close to call as the incumbent, Edward Ennin won by a single vote.

Hon Ennin had 65 votes while his only opponent, Kwaku Kwarteng, Government Spokesperson on Finance received 64 votes.

Former deputy Minister of Women and Children's Affairs and incumbent MP for Abuakwa North, J.B. Danquah-Adu was kicked out from the parliamentary race by a United States-based university lecturer, Prof Samuel Kwadwo Amoako.

J.B., a first-timer MP had 31 votes, with Prof Amoako receiving 35 votes.

Interestingly, Hon Danquah Adu snatched the slot from Prof Amoako when the two aspirants slugged it out four years ago after the constituency was created from the old Abuakwa constituency where NPP's presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had been an MP.

Attempts by the Minister of Communications, Dr. Benjamin Aggrey-Ntim to register his presence in Parliament through the highly safe Abetifi seat has been cut short by a veteran, Peter Wiafe Pepera, who received overwhelming endorsement of delegates.

Mr. Pepera, Managing Director of Paramount Distilleries and former NDC deputy Minister of Trade and Industry had 88 votes while Dr. Aggrey-Ntim received a paltry 15 votes with Benjamin Kofi Boamah going home with 10 votes at the constituency primary held at Bokuruwa, near Abetifi in the Eastern Region.

The incumbent, Hon Eugene Atta Agyepong is standing down at the end of the year.

At Ablekuma South in the Greater Accra Region where the incumbent, Madam Theresa Amerley Tagoe is also stepping down after 12 years in Parliament, a returnee lawyer, Francis Kojo-Smith defeated Greater Accra NADMO Coordinator and Regional Secretary of the party, Ben Brown and two others.

Mr. Kojo-Smith who is said to have won the support of the incumbent MP had 65 votes, while Ben Brown got 57 votes.

Louisa Bruce-Quaye and Alexandra Bruce-Appiah had 10 and zero votes respectively.

Victor Okuley Nortey who made his maiden appearance on the back of a by-election in 1999 was rejected by delegates on Saturday when he was trounced by the constituency chairman, Robert Sabbah.

Okuley, a back-bencher in Parliament, came third after the constituency's former chairman, Amoa Awua.

Samuel Nee Aryeetey Attoh, former DCE for Ga District and MP for Trobu Amasaman also joined the league of first-timer MPs who would not return to the August House next year, just like Hilda Addo, MP for Kwadaso.

Hon Hilda Addo was beaten by Dr. Afriyie Osei Akoto, son of legendary Baffour Akoto, the late Chief Linguist of Asantehene.

There are strong indications that more sitting MPs will fall by the wayside as the primaries progress, especially in Ashanti, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions.

Kofi Osei-Ameyaw MP for Asuogyaman was retained on Friday while Kwasi Ankamah, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff was elected to represent the Atiwa constituency on the same day.

He defeated his only opponent, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Presiding Member at the Atiwa District Assembly, in a primary in which the incumbent was not seeking re-election.

Source: Daily Guide