NPP must handle parliamentary primaries well — Obiri Boahen
A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has cautioned the party against the imposition of parliamentary candidates on supporters.
Moreover, he said no sitting Member of Parliament must be protected as the party prepares to elect parliamentary candidates in constituencies with MPs on January 20, 2024.
“The election of parliamentary candidates, if not handled well, will take the party to opposition,” Nana Obiri Boahen told the Daily Graphic.
He, therefore, called for a level playing field for all parliamentary aspirants of the party to ensure a smooth and transparent process.
Records
“In 2000, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had a problem with the selection of their parliamentary candidates.
There were complaints about the process.
Eventually, the NDC lost a good number of its parliamentary seats and in the run-off, it inured to the benefit of the NPP.”
“In 2008, if you check the records, a good number of NPP sympathisers and supporters who were dissatisfied with the way the parliamentary primaries were conducted contested as independent candidates.
Check the records, eventually the NPP lost.
In 2016, the same problem emerged in the NDC and the NPP took advantage to increase its numerical strength and the NPP won.
So eight years down the line, we need to be careful with some of these issues.
If you are able to get majority of the parliamentary seats, where there is a run-off, you are not scared,” Nana Obiri Boahen stated.
Nana Obiri Boahen, who is also a member of the vetting committee for the Eastern Region, said the mere fact that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia lost in certain constituencies did not mean that pro-Kennedy Ohene Agyapong candidates must be put there and the fact that Kennedy lost in certain constituencies did not mean pro-Dr Bawumia candidates must be put there.
He explained that the race for the flagbearership was between Dr Bawumia, Mr Agyapong and others so that had ended and, therefore, the need to move on, saying that “we are one people, one party so let’s forget who voted for who and move on”.
Congratulation
Nana Obiri Boahen congratulated Dr Bawumia and all those who supported his call to elect him as the flag bearer of the NPP for the 2024 general election.
“Let me also use the opportunity to salute all those who contested with Dr Bawumia, especially Kennedy Agyapong.
He fought like a man and I salute him.
He performed well so I salute him, I salute all the other aspirants for the maturity they exhibited throughout the process leading to the election of the flag bearer,” he said.
“No political party in Africa can beat the NPP in respect to what was done in the recently ended presidential primary.
No Political party can beat the New Patriotic Party, the party lived up to the political and democratic credentials of its forefathers,” he said.
Background
The NPP has fixed December 2, 2023, for the election of its parliamentary candidates in constituencies with no MPs, while that with sitting MPs will be on January 20, 2024.
Vetting of parliamentary aspirants in the orphan constituencies commenced in the regional capitals yesterday, Tuesday, November 14, and this is expected to end on Thursday, November 16, 2023.