The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP), incumbent Member of Parliament for the Kwesimintim constituency in the Western\u00a0Region, Joe Baidoe-Ansah, has lost his bid to contest in the 2016 polls.<\/p>\n
In a fiercely contested primary, Joseph Mensah, \u00a0polled 187 votes, whiles Joe Baidoe-Ansah had\u00a0122 votes. There were two rejected ballots, whereas 30 delegates were absent.<\/p>\n
The primary had delayed due to the incumbent’s decision to sue Joseph Mensah, claiming that he was not a party member. Mr. Baidoe-Ansah had left the venue before the final result was declared.<\/p>\n
However, several persons\u00a0who are not delegates, were seen jubilating after the outcome was announced.<\/p>\n
There were allegations that Joseph Mensah was once a cadre of the then PNDC regime, and that a book he had authored also made mention of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) regime, led by Jerry John Rawlings.<\/p>\n
However, an Accra High Court last week ruled that, Joseph Mensah, an employee of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority at Takoradi, was qualified to contest.<\/p>\n
Joe Badoe-Ansah, had been the MP for Kwesimintsim since 2000, after he took over the seat from the CPP’s Nana Abekah in 1996.<\/p>\n
However in 2012, he had opted to bow out of the race, until he made a sudden U-turn, when the Constituency was re-demarcated into Effia and Kwesimintsim respectively.<\/p>\n
Knowing his strength in the Kwesimintsim area, he won the seat after returning, albiet in another controversial primary.<\/p>\n
He had served in different ministerial portfolios such as Aviation and Tourism in the Kufuor administration.\u00a0The NPP’s Joseph Mensah will come against the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC), Augustine Arthur.<\/p>\n
In the 2012 elections, the votes difference between the NPP and the NDC, was about 6,000, whereas Nana Abekah, a CPP man who went independent polled 6,000 votes, with the PPP candidate polling a little over 1,000 votes.<\/p>\n
However for the 2016 election, the independent candidate is not contesting, whereas the PPP has a new candidate believed to be much more formidable than their previous candidate.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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