NPP Activists Kick Against Disqualification, Daily Graphic, Tue April 12, 2011 (Political Page)

Story: Della Russel Ocloo, Tema

A group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists in the Tema West Constituency has described the disqualification of Dr Elis Ebenezer Donkor, an aspirant, as unjustifiable, an action that could spell doom for the party in the constituency.
According to the group, the action also sought to undermine the tenets of democracy which the party believed in and practised.
They are therefore appealing to the national executive of the party to ensure a free and fair conduct of polls in the party’s upcoming parliamentary primaries.
They indicated that attempts by the party leadership to impose the sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo, as a sole candidate may go to deprive the constituency of the seat.
Members of the group displayed placards, some of which read, “Bottom Power go kill this party ooo,” “NPP national executive are valued at GH¢48,000 only,” “Gentle Jack, save our Party,” “Tema West is not for Jake and Naa Torshie, “NPP, We Are Not Learning;” “Nana Addo, Open Your Mouth And Say Something;” and “Nana, Your Effort To be President is under threat.”
Addressing a news conference dubbed: ‘The dark days are here,’ to register their displeasure with what they described as a grand ploy to disqualify other contenders, the spokesperson for the aggrieved polling station executives, Mr Ekow Sey, accused the national executive of colluding with the regional and constituency executives.
He indicated that the posture of all the executives gives credence to unsubstantiated allegations that huge sums of money exchanged hands after the vetting process.
He argued that a fairly contested primaries would be the only remedy towards addressing the numerous problems facing members and supporters resulting from fallouts from the last primaries between the former Majority Leader, Mr Abraham Ossei Aidoo and the current MP leading to the seeming divisions on the party’s front in the constituency.
Mr Sey also questioned the basis for which Dr Donkor was disqualified when executives recall that the two were cleared to go into the contest following successful vetting processes on March 27.
The also called on the constituency executive to desist from embarking on smear campaigns against contenders seeking to exercise their democratic rights.