Some National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in the Ningo Prampram constituency are calling on the National Executive Committee of the party to conduct another primary or risk losing the parliamentary seat to the NPP.
The voters who are threatening to vote skirt and blouse say the NDC Parliamentary Nominee for the constituency, Samuel Nartey George, is, among other issues, not a grassroots person.
The Ningo-Prampram district was created in 2012 by LI 2132 which divided the then Dangme West district into – Shai Osudoku and Ningo-Prampram.
The two major towns that make up the constituency have been confronting each other over the location of development projects in the constituency, with the Ningos particularly accusing long time MP, Enoch Teye Mensah, and his Prampram kinsmen of denying them development.
Ningo Prampram is an NDC stronghold and over the years, voters have voted for the party’s ET Mensah who has been a Member of Parliament since 1997.
Reasons for threat
Youth Organiser of the Prampram Constituency Tetteh Asempa Neequaye, in an interview with CitiNews’ Lorrencia Nkrumah said ‘’Sam George can never win the seat; we are on the ground and working for the leaders of the party so he can never win; we don’t even know him in the party, its only in 2012 that we heard of him.’’
While some have threatened to vote skirt and blouse, with others calling on the National Executive Committee of the NDC to conduct another primary election to choose their preferred candidate, Michael Kwettey Tetteh, as the governing party’s parliamentary nominee. Others too seem to gave other reasons for their decisions.
Party Chairman of the NDC for Lower Prampram, Ebenezer Abbey told CitiNews, though he projects about 90 percent of votes from the constituency for the president, same cannot be said for Sam George.
‘’There is problem with Sam George because, before 2012, a candidate, Michael Kwettey Tetteh came up for election, he contested ET Mensah, and lost but joined him to campaign but he later picked nomination forms and in fact he is loved by many in this community but all of a sudden, Sam George came up and the way and manner Michael was disqualified has made the constituents decide to vote against Sam George’’ he told Citi News.
For Mr Nortey aka, United, the challenges in the constituency is because the National Executive Conmmitee of the NDC has not paid enough attention to the concerns and challenges in the Ningo Prampram Constituency.
‘’I am hoping the constituency and the regional NEC are going to work hand in hand to retain power for the presidency and maybe our candidate; it all depends on our candidate and the regional executives’’ Mr Nortey told CitiNews.
One prospective voter, Kingsley Amoatey who was contemplating voting against Sam George told CitiNews, his decision is because Sam George is disrespectful.
Most of the women in the Prampram Constituency were for calls on the NEC of the NDC to rerun the primary to have Michael Kwettey Tetteh as parliamentary candidate because he has supported them over the years.
Henreita Akweley Tetteh says, she will rather vote for the NPP candidate, Sylvester Tetteh for parliamentary and President Mahama.
‘’I don’t see any benefit with the votes we’ve been casting; The one we wanted to vote for has been removed and We love NDC because I have voted four times in previous times ; you see I have voted for E. T Mensah before and We don’t see any assistance from him though he claims he has been giving it to our leaders But we are not happy with this new person called Sam George because I don’t know him’’
But incidentally, both Sam George and Sylvester Tetteh, who is standing on the ticket of the NPP, are from Ningo, and there are indications that the NPP nominee will amass more votes in the upcoming elections in December in the Prampram constituency if the NDC members decide to carry through their threats of voting skirts and blouse. Should that happen, the NDC will most likely lose the seat, for the first time since 1992 to the opposition NPP.
Listen to the full report below
Ningo Prampram Report
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By: Lorrencia Nkrumah/citifmonline.com/Ghana