Tsunami Hits NPP MPs At Primaries
…Heavyweights Beaten To Pulp
About 28 incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)have lost their seats in what can best be described as political tsunami, during the party’s primary election, held over the weekend across the country in 105 constituencies.
In has been described as a shocker, the ousted MPs, some of who are very experienced, were toppled by relatively new entrants who are arguably novices in the frontline politics, leaving the ousted MPs badly bruised.
The number adds to 19 other incumbent MPs of the governing party, including the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Wusu, who have voluntarily opted not to seek reelection in the December 2024 general elections.
Last Saturday’s heavyweights who stumbled include the Dome Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo, Tano North MP and Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Freda Prempeh, as well as the Weija-Gbawe lawmaker and Deputy Minister for Health, Tina Gifty Mensah, who touted herself as the ‘landlady’ of area prior to the election.
Also, on the list of casualties were the MP for Walewale and Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Subin MP, Eugene Boakye Antwi, Atwima Mponua and former Youth and Sports Minister, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, among others.
The second term dream of the MP for Anyaa Sowutuom Constituency, Dickson Adomako Kissi, Ablekuma North MP, Sheila Bartels, as well as Amasaman MP, Akwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensa, was also truncated, leaving them one term MPs.
At Tema Central, first-time lawmaker Yves Nii Hanson Nortey, yet again was shown the exit. The giant MP garnered 288 votes as against 420 votes by his opponent, Charles Forson.
In the Dome Kwabenya constituency where many had anticipated a showdown, perennial contender in the person of Michael Ocquaye Jnr., had a landslide over the incumbent, Sarah Adwoa Safo, who was seeking a fourth term.
Some had sensed her impending defeat, having abandoned the constituency and Parliament for about a year for the United States, but the gap between her and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA) is what many did not envisage.
At close of polls, MsSafo, a lawyer, who was sacked as Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, garnered meagre 328 votes against Ocquaye’s 1,194.
The story was not different in Freda Prempeh’s Tano North constituency where Dr. Gideon Boako, spokesperson for the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, won with 444 votes against the incumbent’s 221.
The whipping continued in the Weija-Gbawe constituency in the Greater Accra Region, as Deputy Health Minister Tina Gifty Mensah, who was seeking a third term, bid had her seat snatched from her by the CEO of the Coastal Development Authority (CoDA), Jerry Shaib Ahmed, with 786 votes to Mensah’s 361.
Ahmed, who unsuccessfully contested the Ablekuma South constituency seat in the past, was a first timer but won the seat with a shocking 425 margin.
The deputy minister, who described herself as the ‘landlady,’ had called the lawyer a ‘percher’ and ‘tenant.’
The situation was no different at Anyaa-Sowutuom constituency. Incumbent medical doctor and Alan Kyerematen supporter Dickson Adomako Kissi, who was seeking a second term, lost to Emmanuel Tobbin, who secured 818 while the physician had 566 votes.
At the Ablekuma North constituency another drama unfolded. A former MP Akua Owusu Afriyie defeated a daughter of a stalwart of the NPP, Kwamena Bartels, to take back the seat. Akua Owusu Afriyie was defeated four years ago.
Sheila Bartels was privileged to have her fragile father come all the way to vote for her, but at the end of counting, she pulled 637 votes against Akua Afriyie’s 756.
While delegates in the Amasaman constituency denied a second term bid for Kwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensah, Moses Anim, the MP for Trobo and Deputy Minister for Fisheries, was also booted out and replaced with Gloria Owusu.
The Deputy Minister had 641, but that was not enough to retain his seat because Owusu went past him with 698 votes.
In the Ashanti Region, Eugene Boakye Antwi, one of the Majority MPs who demanded the sacking of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, appeared to have paid for his overzealousness.
He was defeated by a Chief Executive Officer of the Exim Bank, Kofi Obiri Yeboah, after he pulled 103 votes and his contender garnered 734 votes.
The former Youth and Sports Minister, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, lost the Atwima Mponuah constituency seat to one Seth Osei Akoto.
The incumbent gathered 330 votes but his closest contender’s 375 was enough to stop him from returning to Parliament.
Emmanuel Adjei Anhwere lost the Atwima-Nwabiagya South constituency.
In the Eastern Region, a Deputy Minister for Education, Gifty Twum Ampofo, was defeated in the Abuakwa North constituency by Nana Ampaw Addo-Frempong, popularly known as “Buffalo.”
Addo-Frempong garnered 222 votes compared to Twum-Ampofo’s 202. Kwadwo Asante could not retain the Suhum seat.
A deputy minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ama Pomaa Boateng, another first timer, also lost the Juaben seat with 120 votes. Her main contender, Francis Kwabena B. Owusu-Akyaw, pulled 334.
MP for the Lower Hemang Denkyira constituency in the Central Region and Deputy Minister for Employment, Bright Wereko-Brobbey, was defeated by one Lawrence Agyinsam.
Elvis Donkor of the Abura Asebu Kwamankese was also not spared as he lost to Kobina Eric Nyanteh.
MP for Zabzugu constituency, Jabaah John Benam, is also not going back to Parliament after he was beaten by Alhaji Fawaz Aliu, a deputy chief of staff. While the incumbent managed 175, Alhaji Fawaz pulled 263.
Collins Augustine Ntim, MP for the Offinso North constituency, lost his bid.
Effia MP and Minister of State for Public Enterprises, Joseph Cudjoe, who managed 164, could not retain the seat, as one Isaac Nyarko Boamah, a financial analyst, pulled 321 votes to become the NPP’s parliamentary aspirant for the 2024 election.
Source: Anchorghana.com
