Agyeman-Prempeh To Go Solo

An activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Tema East Constituency, Mr Ramseyer Agyeman-Prempeh, has declared his intention to contest the seat as an independent candidate in the December parliamentary election.

He said considering the demands on him by the electorate in the constituency to represent their interest in the next Parliament, he had to give in to their request to contest the seat as an independent candidate.

Mr Agyeman-Prempeh, who said this in an interview in Accra on Monday, explained that the party would lose the seat to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) if he declined to contest the poll.

Commenting on the recent primary in which he was purported to have withdrawn his candidature for Mr Ishmael Ashitey to be declared unopposed, Mr Agyemang-Prempeh described the reports in the newspapers as false and said blackmail and bias by the constituency executive against him characterised the primary of the party held recently.

“To begin with, the delegates were not informed in the invitation letters that they were going to endorse Mr Ashitey. They were also informed that I, Ramseyer Agyeman Prempeh, had been disqualified after the vetting exercise and that there was only one candidate to be endorsed. I have not received any letter of disqualification as of today August, 3, 2004, “ he said.

He denied ever clinching a deal with Mr Ashitey to be declared unopposed, stressing that he was a victim of intrigues of some of the constituency executive.

He accused the constituency chairman and the secretary who he said had been partial and antagonistic towards him during the nomination and vetting process.

“People who know me in Tema and Ashaiman are aware that I contributed significantly towards the NPP's victory in the 2000 election. I have paid all my dues and also I have been sponsoring the activities of the Tema East Youth Wing since 2003,” Mr Agyemang-Prempeh said.

He said his decision to contest the seat as an independent candidate was not negotiable, since he had been assured of massive support and endorsement by the electorate in the forthcoming election.