'I won't buy votes'-NDC parliamentary aspirant

As the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) prepares to organize its parliamentary primaries in the orphan constituencies on Saturday, November 19, 2011, across the country, issues of vote buying has been prominent in some constituencies within the Brong-Ahafo region.

One of such constituencies is Sunyani West, which has three prominent personalities aspiring for the ticket to battle it out with the incumbent NPP Member of Parliament, Ignatius Baffour Awuah in the 2012 general elections.

The three aspirants, who would have their fates decided by a total of 440 NDC delegates from the Sunyani West constituency are the current Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, a renowned football administrator, Mr. Kofi Manu a.k.a 'Blue boy' and the Chief Executive Officer of a Sunyani based NGO, 'Access to Justice', Rev. Nana Agyei Ntow.

It seems to be another 'cocoa season' for the 440 delegates, which some of them clandestinely disclosed to The Chronicle that the budget for the Christmas has been catered for by some of the parliamentary aspirants.

The CEO for Access to Justice, Rev. Nana Agyei Ntow has admitted that the allegation of vote buying is true, because some of the delegates have confessed that his competitors have been paying huge sums of money for their votes, so he should also do same if he wants to win on Saturday.

But Rev. Agyei Ntow insisted that he would not buy votes, because he wants to serve the people and wants to be given the opportunity to wrestle the seat from the incumbent MP in 2012 through the right way.

'Though I am aware some of the aspirants are paying money and other incentives to win the votes of delegates, I won't do that', he stressed.

According to him, transportation and petty cash for food and drinks can be given to delegates after meeting with them, but this has not been the case, because some have been paying over GH¢100 with other packages, to the detriment of the core values of the NDC party.

Rev. Agyei Ntow emphasized that despite the allegation of vote buying, the delegates would still vote for him on Saturday at Nsoatre, so that in the 2012 general elections the NDC would wrestle the Sunyani West seat from the NPP.