Today can report that some leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) including the youth in Okaikoi North constituency in the Greater Accra region are seething with anger.
That, the paper understands, follows what they have described as a “bad precedent” being set by the party’s national officers.
The worry of the youth comes in the wake of the just-ended NPP’s nationwide parliamentary vetting where they say some “questionable” aspirants had a field day of going through the process without any legitimate protestation.
“This practice where anybody at all can come from nowhere and contest a parliamentary election in any constituency is not healthy for the NPP which is noted for its democratic principles, sources close to the NPP in Okaikoi North told this paper.
Though the report for the nationwide vetting is yet to be released, Today learnt that the youth of Okaikoi North NPP could not understand why some aspiring candidates were not immediately disqualified when they appeared before the various vetting committees in the country.
They were particularly displeased with the way the Ishmael Ashittey-led Greater Accra regional executives allowed some aspirants to go through the vetting process who, by the virtue of the NPP’s constitution, should have been disqualified.
Speaking to Today in an interview via telephone over the weekend on condition of anonymity, some of the youth in Okaikoi North NPP, unreservedly mentioned Mr. Seth Adjei-Baah, popularly known as “Shaba,” who they claimed did not qualify to contest in the Okaikoi North constituency.
Though they complained about the other aspirants like the Managing Editor of the Searchlight newspaper, Kenneth Adjei-Kuranchie, and the party’s former treasurer of the Okaikoi North constituency, they said the case of “Shaba” was more disturbing as it could create disunity in the constituency.
According to them, Mr. Adjei-Baah was not a voter in the constituency though he recently came to reside in the area.
They supported their accusation with the voter’s ID card of Mr. Adjei-Baah which has the following details: name—Seth Adjei-Baah; ID number-2284003197 and the polling station code-E221101.
“So how can somebody who votes in the Eastern region, to be precise Nkawkaw, come to Okaikoi North NPP in Accra and contest a parliamentary slot. It is absolutely undreamed of and politically unheard of,” the youth intimated.
According to them, the only person who qualifies to represent Okaikoi North NPP in the sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic is the Chartered Accounted and an Investment Banker, Fuseini Isaah.
They described Fuseini Isaah as a “local boy” who has been with the party in the constituency for about 20 years.
“…not only that, he has been with us all these years, he has also supported the constituency with his resources and was with us during difficult times when the constituency needed help,” the angry youth stated.
They, however, warned the NPP hierarchy, especially the Greater Accra regional executives, not to impose anybody on them as they indicated that the outcome of such a move would be disastrous for the party in the constituency in the 2016 polls.
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