Reconsider decision to go independent — President Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked all members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) intending to contest parliamentary seats as independent candidates to reconsider their decision.

He said the NPP needed a majority in Parliament to enable him to carry out his programme when re-elected on December 7, 2020, and as such “cannot work with independent Members of Parliament.”

Tour of Ashanti

President Akufo-Addo, who was addressing a durbar organised in his honour at Tepa by the chiefs and people of the area as part of his working tour to the Ashanti Region,  expressed regret that some members of the NPP were trying to go independent in spite of the call on them to step down.

Although he did not mention the name, he said an NPP member in Ahafo Ano North, who was attempting to go independent, turned down an invitation he extended to him to discuss his decision to go independent.

According to the President, the action of the person smacked of disrespect and “I cannot work with such a person.”

Context

A well-known member of the NPP in the constituency, Mr Kwabena Osei Bonsu, declared his intention to contest the seat as an independent candidate following his inability to pick a nomination form to contest the primary.

He believed he had done a lot for the party at the constituency and should have been allowed to contest the primary and eventually the seat on the ticket of the party.

Bekwai

In the Bekwai Constituency, Mr Kwasi Amofa-Agyemang, who was disqualified from contesting the primary election, has also declared his intention to go independent and contest the candidature of the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu.

The national vetting committee upheld the decision of the regional vetting committee when Mr Amofa-Agyemang appealed to the former to have the latter’s decision overturned.

NPP candidate

President Akufo-Addo said the elected parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the NPP for the Ahafo Ano North was Sanid Suleman Adamu and urged the party faithful to vote for him and the party in the upcoming elections.

He asked the party faithful not to vote for any independent candidate, particularly members of the party who were contesting the elected parliamentary candidates of the party.

He said the party had not sanctioned any member to contest any seat as an independent candidate and urged the members not to entertain any independent candidate.

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