More trouble for NPP "Independents"

... As Nyaho adds voice to 'sack them' call ... They don't believe in the tradition of the party A FOUNDING member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the fiery Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has expressed one hundred per cent support for warning by the party's General Secretary, Mr. Dan Kweku Botwe that any defeated candidate in the constituency primaries who decides to stand as Independent candidate in the December parliamentary elections would be sacked from the party.

Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe, who spoke to The Chronicle on phone from London yesterday, joins other leading party members and a growing number of the rank and file who say they are in agreement with the party's position.

“I strongly support the leadership of the party to dismiss those people. In fact they should be sacked because they do not believe in the tradition and the belief of the NPP,” he said.

According to the NPP firebrand, the defeat of some of the incumbent Members of Parliament in certain constituencies was a litmus test to their popularity and performance and urged them to rather rally behind the chosen candidates to ensure victory for the party.

“It is my humble appeal to those who were defeated in their primaries to support the winner in the interest of the party. This is because those who were retained had demonstrated their popularity and performance. I don't think that the party will support any dead horse,” he said.

Dismissing the perception of imposition of candidates by the leadership, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe who was due to arrive in Accra today to address pressing issues at the GFA, after attending the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games, said the party had no such policy.

“The NPP believes in democracy and is committed to it; it will be unfortunate for any serious or genuine member to disagree with the stand of the party,” he stressed and urged the defeated candidates who were toying with the idea of going solo to rescind their decision and campaign for both the elected parliamentary candidates and the Presidential candidate, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor.

“Let no person deceive himself or herself to go solo and if they go, they should absolutely be sacked because anybody who does not believe in democracy has no right to be a member of the NPP.

“They must know that it is because we cherish democratic principles, that we have to go to congress to elect our leaders even at the constituency and ward levels,” he submitted.

Asked whether those who have threatened to go independent are a threat to the NPP, the NPP firebrand said emphatically: “It will never affect the party at all in any way. The party is not scared at all.”

The NPP's constituency primaries to select parliamentary candidates have been rocked by controversies arising out of the perception that the leadership was imposing some candidates on the constituencies. Some candidates who lost in the primaries have also rejected the results, giving all kinds of reasons and threatening to stand as independent candidates in the parliamentary elections.

But this paper's search at the party headquarters has revealed that the party is resolute in its decision not to yield to pressure from “a few disgruntled members and supporters.”

The party's chief scribe said the party remained focused despite the seeming differences and would achieve its target of winning a minimum of 160 parliamentary seats come December 7.