Jostling begins for Ayawaso West Wuogon seat

Even before the late Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, Mr Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, is laid to rest indications are that serious jostling has started over who is to replace the late MP on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Already, different groups have emerged accompanied by the emergence of posters in the constituency.
Among the posters which emerged on Monday are those of two women, said to be wives of the late MP.

Two groups for two wives?

Some youth in the constituency, on Monday, made moves to present a petition to officials of the NPP at the party’s headquarters, asking that one Lydia Alhassan, said to be a wife of the late MP, should not be allowed to contest the upcoming by-election.

Rather, the youth argued they would prefer that another person, Naana Agyarko, also said to be a wife of the late MP, be allowed to contest.

Party officials reportedly refused to entertain the group and refused to receive their petition.

The youth wore t-shirts with Naana Agyarko’s picture embossed and also held a banner with her picture, signalling their preference and message.

Lydia Alhassan’s take Lydia Alhassan, however has broken her silence on agitations for her to step forward to take the challenge to replace Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko in Parliament.

In a statement issued yesterday morning, she asked that the politicking should be toned down until after the burial of the late MP.

“I wish to clear the air and state that I have not expressed interest in the upcoming by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency,” she pointed out.

Naana Baiden Agyarko’s position

On the other hand a family spokesperson for the wife of the late MP, Mr Kwame Nsiah Poku, has said Mrs Naana Baiden Agyarko has not expressed any interest in succeeding her husband for the vacant parliamentary seat.

Speaking to the media yesterday morning, Mr Poku stressed that Mrs Josephine Naana Agyarko was presently interested in how she would lay the late husband to rest and organise a befitting funeral.

He indicated that Naana Agyarko had not given permission to anybody for them to use her name or lobby for her to succeed the late MP.

Respect tradition

But the deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen, speaking to the media called on supporters to respect “tradition”.

He said, “the man is dead, he is yet to be buried and his funeral is yet to be performed and the wives and the supporters are, with due respect, taking tradition out of the way.

The wives and supporters are insulting tradition. The wives and supporters are bringing down tradition and customs.”

His position was: “Honestly speaking, I think that this is not something we should be encouraging at all.”

Ras Mubarak and the NDC

Already, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Kunbungu, Ras Mubarak, has suggested that the opposition NDC should not field a candidate in the by-election and that they should allow the NPP to find a replacement for the vacant seat.

But that suggestion has been rejected by the leadership of the NDC.

Apart from the wives of the late MP, whom some youth are rooting for, there are also indications of other interested persons who want to field other candidates for the constituency.

The Electoral Commission is yet to announce details for the by-election.

Eleven interested persons

The Third National Vice Chairman of the NPP, Omari Wadie, in a radio interview on Monday disclosed that 11 people, including some former footballers, have expressed interest to replace the late Agyarko.

“So far 11 names, including past footballers and people from certain key positions such as people from Food and Drugs Board, have popped up but I won’t mention names now,” he stated.

The NPP Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon in the Greater Accra Region, Emmanuel Kwabena Kyeremanteng Agyarko, died at the age of 60 on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

He died after a short illness, for which he had undergone corrective surgery.

Born on December 10, 1957, the soft-spoken Kyeremateng Agyarko, brother of the former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko was formerly

Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Board from 2001 to 2009.

He was a pharmacist and hailed from Odumase Krobo in the Eastern Region and Jamasi in Ashanti.