The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has defied a court order to endorse Alidu Seidu as its parliamentary candidate for Asawase constituency in the Ashanti Region in next year’s parliamentary election.
By popular acclamation Saturday afternoon, Alidu Seidu was announced by executives of the party in the region as their candidate for the party for the Asawase constituency amidst heavy security presence at the St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Asawase.
His confirmation received a rapturous jubilation from the delegates, our correspondent Evans William Evans-Nkum reported.
With his controversial endorsement, Seidu will be making his second attempt at wrestling the seat from the National Democratic Congress’ Alhaji Mubarak Muntaka.
Alhaji Muntaka who is the minority chief whip in parliament and has been held the Asawase constituency since 2005, beat Mr Seidu by over 5,000 votes in the constituency in the 2016 parliamentary election.
Despite issues surrounding the exercise, majority of the over 800 delegates turned up to support the candidature of Alidu Seidu, who is the Municipal chief executive for Asokore Mampong.
“In 2016 we went for a winning but ended up closing the gap. We have gone back to the boardroom to right the wrongs so victory becomes ours in 2020,” Seidu assured after he was declared.
The Asawase constituency branch of the NPP used the occasion to announce the reuniting of former chairman of the constituency Michael Brenya, with the party, our correspondent reported.
Brenya was suspended in 2015 following the murder of Abubakar Mohammed after internal political clashes
Injunction not served on us
The Asawase constituency organiser of the party justified the decision to go ahead to endorse Alidu Seidu.
He told our correspondent the NPP was not served with any injunction application for which reason nothing stopped the party from going ahead with the popular acclamation.
Manaf Ibrahim on Thursday secured the interim injunction to stop the Electoral Commission, “their agents, servants, assigns, privies and any person acting or claiming through them…from conducting the parliamentary primaries at Asawase.”
The order also restrained Alhaji Seidu from allowing himself to be declared or hold out as the sole candidate for Asawase constituency for a period of 10 days” the injunction said.
By 3news.com|Ghana