Mosquito Chased Out!

Johnson Asiedu Nketia

The general secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly called General Mosquito, was smuggled out of Tamale in a military vehicle yesterday afternoon after irate members of the party attempted to lynch him.

The NDC general secretary, who led three other national executives of the party, including Akamba Amidu, deputy national organiser and a deputy women's organizer, to vet prospective parliamentary aspirants for the newly-created constituencies in the region had to fly back to the nation's capital via Fly540 for their own safety.

The angry party supporters, who asked for the blood of their general secretary, started pelting stones after reports reached them that he had unilaterally disqualified three out of eight aspirants vying for the party's slot in the Sagnerigu North Constituency.

Those qualified are Mohammed Amin Adam Abio, the regional NYEP coordinator, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, metropolitan Health Insurance Scheme manager, and one Mohazu Andani.

The deputy Minister for Women and Children's Affairs, Hajia Hawawu Boya Gariba, the Northern regional women's organiser of the NDC, Olivia Hawa Yahaya, and the regional youth organiser, Alhaji Mohammed Amin Adam-Abio, were among notable persons garnering for support in Sagnerigu.

Others are Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini, Night Editor, Daily Graphi c, Richard Andani Yakubu, and Salifu Sualisu Aladira, a former Tamale MCE.

According to sources, their disqualification was based on the grounds that they had not been active in the party's activities in the area in the last two years, a claim that was reportedly objected to by the regional leadership of the party and the aspirants themselves.

Despite these objections, the general secretary allegedly insisted they were not worth contesting on the party's ticket in the new constituency whose legislation is even yet to be passed.

Following this, some supporters of the affected aspirants stormed the venue of the vetting, demanding the blood of Mosquito.

Heavily-armed military personnel had to be called in to smuggle the NDC stalwart to the Tamale airport to board a flight to Accra as tension started enveloping the area.

Meanwhile, the disqualified aspirants have threatened court action against the party's decision, claiming it was illegitimate and unfounded.

According to one of them, who wanted to remain unnamed, it was an attempt by the general secretary to allegedly give the slot to his favourites, regardless of the party's interest.

The Sagnerigu North Constituency was carved out of the Tamale North Constituency which is considered one of the vote banks of the NDC in the region.

Prior to the official naming of the constituency, top guns in the NDC started lobbying opinion leaders and party faithful to represent the party in the 2012 elections.

From Stephen Zoure, Tamale