The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will handpick a parliamentary candidate for the Ahanta West Constituency of the Western Region for the 2020 parliamentary election.
The decision, which has been endorsed by the National Executive Committee, became necessary following the untimely demise of the elected parliamentary candidate, George Kwame Aboagye.
Mr. Kwame Aboagye, who served as the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West from 2012 to 2016, contested and won the party’s primaries to contest in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
His demise has, however, created a vacancy which needs to be filled.
Speaking on the Wednesday, February 26 edition of Connect FM’s morning show Omanbapa, Constituency Secretary Isaac Simmons Bassaw told sit-in host Henry Eliud Yankey that there will be no election to replace Mr. Kwame Aboagye.
“To be very categorical, there will be no primaries. Instead, the party will appoint one of the party members to replace the late parliamentary candidate. The party National leadership through the region met the constituency election committee and resolved to make an appointment.”
He indicated that three persons have been shortlisted and one of them will be picked after broad consultation with party members in the constituency.
“The party has settled on Dr. Emmanuel Okumi Andoh, Hon. Ebenezer Essien and Ing. Ebenezer Aidoo,” he told the host Henry Eliud Yankey.
When asked whether the constitution of the party allows for an appointment instead of election in such circumstance, Mr. Bassaw said Article 49 of the party’s constitution is clear on what should happen.
He is confident that the decision will not bring any issue as there was broad consultation before arriving at the “decision to appoint”.
However, 3news.com is reliably informed that there appears to be a grand scheme to pick Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Okumi Andoh, a former Vice Rector of the Takoradi Technical University (TTUT), to represent the party.
The source explained the decision is likely to create disaffection in the constituency ahead of the 2020 general elections as it is the expectation that Hon. Ebenezer Essien, the assembly member for Aboadzi who contested Mr. Kwame Aboagye in the last primaries, should be picked.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana