A number of big shots of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who fell after the primaries on Saturday, June 20 when the party went to the polls, are licking their wounds.
A notable Member of Parliament whose defeat came as a shock among the rank and file of the party is the Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Mark Assibey Yeboah.
The MP for New Juaben South lost to a political newbie in the person of Michael Okyere Baafi, the CEO of Ghana Free Zones Board.
Leading members of the NPP including the National Chairman, Freddie Blay and General Secretary, John Boadu have admitted that, they would have loved to protect some of the MPs, Assibey Yeboah included.
The issue of protecting legislators with key roles in Parliament has been raised since many of the defeated were chairpersons of select committees.
Speaking after his defeat, however, Mr Assibey Yeboah intimated that he doesn’t believe he should have been protected, adding that it was not an ‘entitlement’.
“I believe in competitive elections. What has happened in New Juaben is welcome because if I’ve been protected, then it means the party would’ve denied Michael Okyere Baafi, who is actually the ‘Darling Boy’ of the constituents now, the opportunity to go to Parliament.”
Having advocated for the support of Sarah Adwoa Safo, K.T Hammond and others to retain their seats in their respective constituencies, journalist Paul Adom Otchere asked why NPP bigwig Kennedy Agyapong did not come to the rescue of Mark Assibey Yeboah.
Kennedy Agyapong hinted that although Mr Assibey sought for his help, he lost because his plea came too late.
Speaking in an interview on Good Evening Ghana, the MP for Assin Central indicated that there were several party members who were scheming for the two-time parliamentarian of New Juaben South to lose the elections.
“…when he requested, it was too late. I hear there were a lot of NPP people there campaigning against him,” Mr Agyapong added.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
