The Ellembelle Constituency executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are demanding from the party’s Functional Executive Committee reasons why their primary is on hold.
According to the constituency executives, up until Tuesday, August 20, four days before the exercise, they were aware that the election for a parliamentary candidate for the 2020 elections will be by popular acclamation.
Ellembelle is among four constituencies in the Western Region where primaries to elect parliamentary candidates for the NDC have been put on hold.
Incumbent Member of Parliament Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah is being challenged by one Mieza Mea Alleah.
The candidature of Mr. Mea Alleah has been in contention for several months and the Appeals Committee of the party is yet to rule on a petition brought before it against him.
Mr. Mea Alleah has been accused of forging signatures of some names on his nomination forms, an accusation he has vehemently denied.
Addressing a press conference at the party office at Ayinase in the Ellembelle District, Constituency Chairman Alex Mahama described the decision by the Functional Executive Committee to clear Mr. Mea Alleah as an ambush.
He stated that the constituency executives are fully aware that Mr. Alleah has been disqualified for falsifying some information on his nomination forms.
Mr. Mahama added that both the regional chairman and organizer indicated explicitly that there will be popular acclamation only for them to see the disqualified aspirant going around campaigning with a piece of document purportedly from the national head office to the effect that he has been cleared.
“Every step of the way, I have been in contact with the regional chairman, Nana Toku, about the petition for we the executives to be clear in our minds what we have to do on August 24.
“The regional organizer [Japheth Baidoo] was on various radio stations saying there will be no contest. So where did the regional chairman and his organizer get their information from and mind you these two cannot just say anything considering their position and what a false information from them can do.”
Constituency Secretary Joseph Agyekum explained that because there would be no election but popular acclamation in the constituency, there was no notice of polls.
Again, an amount of GH¢12,500 meant for constituencies where there will be popular acclamation have already been sent by the national executives to Ellembelle for the organization of Saturday’s exercise.
“There was a circular by the Functional Executive Committee of the party, FEC, that constituencies where there will be popular acclamation an amount of twelve thousand and five hundred cedis be given for the exercise.
“The Ellembelle constituency bank account has been credited with this same amount. So, on what basis did the Functional Executive Committee send that amount when they knew there was going to be an election and not popular acclamation.
“As if that was not injurious enough, our election is on hold. So we demand to know why.”
Mr Agyekum claimed there could be machinations from the Functional Executive Committee to put Ellembelle in disarray.
He questioned why the disqualified aspirant will have the urge to campaign with an information the constituency executives are oblivious of.
“This aspirant is going around the constituency with a piece of paper purported to be from the FEC that he has been cleared of all allegations against him. Strangely, as constituency executives we do not have that information. We feel disrespected by this act by FEC if indeed the aspirant has been cleared.”
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ellembelle, Western Region|Ghana