The Greater Accra Regional Appeals Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is sitting today to examine seven petitions filed by seven parliamentary aspirants against the vetting process.
The seven aspirants petitioning the vetting process are: Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah of Tema West; Naa Torshie Addo, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West; Mr Isaac Amofa of Dome Kwabenya Constituency; Mrs Tina Mensah of Weija/Gbawe; and Titus Glover, the incumbent MP for Tema East.
Disqualification
Mr Ishmael Ashitey, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NPP, who threw more light on the petitions, said Mr Ahenkorah and Mr Amofa were petitioning aainst their disqualification.
He said, however, that Mrs Mensah had petitioned against two aspirants who, she claimed, did not pick the forms by the close of nominations on April 30, 2015.
According to Mrs Mensah, after the close of nominations, only Mrs Rosemond Aborah, the incumbent, and herself had filed their nominations, paving the way for the two females to battle it out in the parliamentary primaries.
However, during the vetting of the parliamentary aspirants, she said the number of aspirants in the Weija/Gbawe Constituency rose ‘’mysteriously” to four for which reason she was petitioning the Greater Accra Regional Office of the NPP to look into the matter.
In Tema West, Naa Torshie Addo and some constituency executive have petitioned against Adwoa Amoako for flirting with the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to them, prior to the 2012 general election, Mrs Amoako accompanied the Local Government Minister to distribute solar lanterns in Tema West, a move seen by many as political gimmick by the ruling NDC to win votes in the constituency.
Mr Ashitey also disclosed that in Obuom/Domeabra Constituency, one aspirant was disqualified for resigning from the party but failed re-apply to rejoin it, while at Ada, one Francis Saneky was disqualified for his inability to pay a filing fee of GH¢10,000.
The Regional Chairman said Mr Titus Glover, was appealing against one Benjamin Agyitey in Tema East who he deemed as not qualified to contest the Tema East primaries because he was not a card-bearing NPP member.
Meanwhile, the disqualified Tema West Constituency aspirant, Mr Ahenkorah, has described as frivolous reasons for his disqualification.
He was tipped as one of the aspirants with the capacity to unseat Naa Torshie Addo.
Speaking on Eyewitness News last Wednesday, he said when he heard the response of the vetting committee, he “was taken aback because I find the reasons that they [vetting committee] have given for my disqualification as frivolous and unfounded but I thought that we are working with the system in NPP and I have to abide by the rules and regulations.”
Vetting Committee
Mr Ahenkorah said he subsequently filed a nine-page document with the party’s Regional Appeals Committee to prove his eligibility.
He further debunked claims that he had not nurtured the party and listed instances of his contribution to the party.
“My response was based on the fact that the nurturing that they have in the form does not necessarily mean that you need to give money to the chairmen but whatever impact you make on the ground to improve the fortunes of the party.”
SOURCE: graphic.com.gh
