A group of ladies known as “NPP Non-Delegates” have picked a nomination form for Mr. Yohane Amarh Ashitey, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, to contest in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Tema East parliamentary primaries.
The NPP opened nominations for its orphaned constituencies where the party has no representation in Parliament from July 11 to August 10, 2023.
In the 2020 Parliamentary Election, Mr. Isaac Ashai Odamtten, a former Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive who stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), defeated Mr. Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, the NPP incumbent then, with 41,692 votes as against 31,956 votes for the Tema East Constituency seat.
Mr. Ashitey is seeking to snatch the seat from his uncle, the incumbent Mr. Odamtten.
Ms. Janet Nortey, a leading member of the group, told the Ghana News Agency in Tema, after picking the form that, the MCE had performed creditably as the political head of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), hence their decision to pick the form on his behalf.
She described Mr. Ashitey as a man with good qualities to lead the party in 2024, as he was a unifier of all the rank and file of the party faithful in the constituency, adding that the group believed he had more to offer the constituency.
According to her, the MCE has created jobs for the people, provided streetlights, and was in the process of restructuring the market.
Madam Ruby Ashitey Amarh, a constituent from Tema Central, said her presence at the NPP office to support the picking of nomination forms was an indication that Mr. Ashitey was a unifier and the only one who could wrestle the seat from the NDC.
Ms. Linda Adubea Offei, a member of the non-delegates group, stated that the MCE had embarked on a number of developmental projects in the metropolis that they believed, when voted for, would be sustained.
Nene S. Sakite, the NPP Constituency Secretary for Tema East, presented the forms to the group and said the aim of the party was to retrieve the seat from their opponents.
Nene Sakite said it was not enough to pick the nomination form but also to implore good communication skills to ensure unity and decorum during campaigning.
He said that was the only way to ensure that misunderstandings are handled well to prevent the creation of cracks in the party at the constituency level.
He cautioned constituency executives, party supporters, and polling station executives to desist from openly supporting any aspirants, which might result in any misunderstanding or unfairness.
He stated that even in disagreements, there was a need to maintain unity and hope, as the executives would stay put to guide the election process for transparency and fairness of the party and believe good things will locate the party.
