Skillful & Shoe To Step Down For Ricketts-Hagan?

Political watchers should be focusing on the issues within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Cape Coast South Constituency as the party is preparing to elect parliamentary candidates (PCs) for the 2020 general elections.

It is becoming too clear that the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South Constituency, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan fears to compete with some aspirants in the upcoming parliamentary primaries which is set to be conducted before ending of August, 2019.

The MP is making every move possible to make his two main contenders withdrawn from the race since he believes that, it would be difficult for him to sail through the primaries.

Hon. Ricketts-Hagan has declared his intention to run fo the Cape Coast South parliamentary seat not too long ago, but he is facing serious challenges to represent the people of Cape Coast South in the next parliament. His team members are spreading rumours that, John Mahama is in support of Ricketts-Hagan and he (Mahama) will make sure Mr. Thomas Hughes Amissah (a.k.a SKILLFUL) and Mr. Henry Osei (a.k.a Shoe) will step down for Ricketts-Hagan.

Mr. Abeiku Aggrey, popularly known as Abeiku Pat-house, who is immediate past Central Regional Vice Chairman of the party is one of the key persons spreading that rumour. He (Abeiku) calls delegates in the Cape Coast South Constituency on phone and tell them how John Mahama is eager to make sure Ricketts-Hagan becomes a candidate for the party in 2020 parliamentary elections. Mr. Aggrey told some delegates on Friday, 5th April, 2019 on phone calls that, as at the time he was talking, Skillful and Shoe were in a crucial meeting with John Mahama and they were signing a memorandum of understanding that if they step down for Ricketts-Hagan, they would be given positions in the next NDC government.

Abeiku Pat-house went further to indicate that when JM visits Central Region he (JM) will meet the Constituency Executives of Cape Coast South and prove to them that he is behind Ricketts-Hagan's come back and he and the two main contenders have already signed an MoU.

Due to this assertion by Abeiku Pat-house, I have been following the activities in the constituency and I can confidently state that it is a strategy to convince delegates to endorse Ricketts-Hagan.

As part of John Mahama's tour in the Central Region, he (Mahama) met Cape Coast South Constituency Executives on Friday, 12th April 2019 to interact with them and also thanked them for electing him as a leader of the party. He clearly stated that competition is healthy and he thanked the six persons who gave him a good contest in the last presidential primaries. He will always welcome competition and will not ask anyone to step down for any candidate in the upcoming parliamentary primaries.

He (Mahama) said he knew he was going to win the primaries but did not know he would get over ninety percent endorsement. The result shows how much the party members need him to lead them into 2020 victory.

Although he (JM) did not address that issue directly but his comments were clear indication that, the rumours coming from Ricketts-Hagan's camp are false and must be treated with contempt it deserves.

This confirms our earlier story last week that "sources close to the former president had denied the rumours coming from Ricketts-Hagan's camp. John Dramani Mahama is a democrat and he believes in a contest so there is no way he would ask anyone to step down for the other. He even went into a contest with six other candidates and he was not bothered because he (JM) knew the contest would energize the party."

In this meeting with John Mahama and the constituency executives, Hon. Ricketts-Hagan was present as well as other three aspirants namely; Mr. Thomas Hughes Amissah (SKILLFUL), Henry Osei (Shoe) and Miss Tina Frimpong (Nasika). So, they all heard what the former president said.

I tried to speak to the aspirants about the outcome of the meeting but they were tight-lipped so I couldn't get any information from them.

Due to their unwillingness to speak, I spoke to some constituency executives who are against Ricketts-Hagan's come back and they gave me this statement from John Mahama. They told me that, even if that was plan of John Mahama, they would not agree but will make sure SKILLFUL (Hughes Amissah) will contest because nobody owns the Cape Coast South seat.

I also spoke to some branch executives and they told me they are ready to vote Ricketts out and replace him with SKILLFUL whom they believe can win the seat and it is his time. Some of them said even if SKILLFUL does not win the primaries, they would prefer Henry Osei (aka Shoe) to Ricketts-Hagan.

Branch Youth Organizer for Aliareba Branch by name Agudey (aka Lampard) is one of the vociferous delegates who spoke to me.

I do not really understand why Shoe's camp seems not to talk about the issues surrounding their candidate's likely withdrawal from the contest. Whether he will step down for Ricketts-Hagan or not? It seems there are some talks going on between Ricketts' Camp and Shoe's Camp and I may not be surprised if Shoe steps down for Kweku Ricketts-Hagan.

SKILLFUL's CAMP is not perturbed about Ricketts come back. They said they are focused and remain resolute to ensure that THOMAS HUGHES AMISSAH becomes candidate for the NDC in 2020 and eventually becomes an MP for Cape Coast South.

Story by Ebo Oboamah Amissah, Cape Coast
Email: [email protected]
0549553744