Catherine Afeku to contest Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira seat again
A former NPP Member of Parliament for the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency in the Western Region, Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku, is gearing up to contest once again the seat she lost in 2012, when nominations open for prospective NPP parliamentary aspirants for elections in 2016.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mrs Afeku said she was motivated by calls from people in the constituency, including chiefs, to come back and represent them in Parliament considering her impressive performance over the period when she was their MP.
Mrs Afeku said she was determined this time to win back the seat and contribute to efforts by the NPP to win the 2016 general election.
Swing electoral area
The Evalue-Gwira Constituency is largely considered a swing electoral area. Ever since the inception of democratic rule in 1992, the seat has been won largely by opposing Members of Parliament to the government in power. Mrs Afeku is the first member from the UP/PP/NPP tradition to have won the seat in the area and done so when her party, the NPP, assumed power.
A notable achievement on her part has been the unprecedented efforts she put in to have the name of the constituency changed from Evalue-Gwira to Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira; a decision the people of the area had rooted for since 1971.
An earlier position
She commended the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP for its decision to reverse an earlier position to allow female MPs to go uncontested by male aspirants following an internal party hue and cry over the matter.
According to her, the decision to revert notwithstanding, the affirmative action per se was good as it gave opportunity to the minority and disadvantaged groups.
“It would be even more potent if all political parties, with the NPP in the lead, made it a part of their constitution and not just mere intentions placed in party manifestos,” she said.
She hoped a lot more women would be encouraged to aspire to leadership positions in the party.
